


Consequences of Actions

by Tazzy_Ladynero



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Not Dirge of Cerebus compliant, attempted suicide, coerced for sex, many author notes, see first chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-27
Updated: 2015-06-16
Packaged: 2018-02-10 14:48:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 36,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2029065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tazzy_Ladynero/pseuds/Tazzy_Ladynero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A year and a half after the ending of Advent Children, Cloud gets a new shot at happiness. Which of his friends have stayed with him and which ones have turned against him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Author's Notes

As always, thanks to the wonderful Artimusdin for making me sound fantastic with her Beta Reading.

Normally there would be an author's note at the beginning or end but there's a few too many to put there so they're getting their own chapter. Please read all of these as I don't want to be accused of accidentally triggering someone.

First off, this started as a series of prompts in a Porn Battle and suddenly started creating a story. That means there will be chapters that will have some crude language in them and smut. Right now, that is all M/M smut but this may change in the future. I'll try to add tags as needed.

Second, this starts out with an attempted suicide. Don't worry. I love my characters too much to just blatantly kill them off. But this is also focusing on reality and actions have consequences. Thus the name of the story. However, there is the mention of a suicide that happened in the past later in the story. That chapter will be noted.

Third, this is going to be a lot of chapters of varying length. As a personal challenge, I took three writing prompt tables and combined them to write this story. After removing the duplicate words, that leaves me with 253 prompts. I'm going to try to use them all. So this story has less of a "Beginning, Middle, and End" and more of a "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow" sort of flow going. As of right now, I do have a lot of chapters to upload so expect a few every couple of days. When the mass updates stop, all the chapters have been uploaded.

Fourth, there are chapters that are flashbacks. I will label these so people don't get confused.

Fifth, I'm ignoring the events of Dirge of Cerebus. I hated the funky controls of that game and wasn't too impressed with the story. I'm also playing fast and loose with the Crisis Core timeline and characters. Zack is Seph's SiC when they go to Wutai, he's not quite the excitable puppy he is in the game, but he's still Zack.

All the characters when they get in bed together are 16, which is the "Adult" age for my story as that is the age he was at the beginning of Crisis Core. Meaning he was 16 when he joined Shinra's Army. That to me says that on Gaia at least, at 16, you're an adult and can make adult decisions including going to bed with someone.

This also has a different take on Cloud's life in NIbelheim and some traditions there. Just remember that I'm trying to portray these people as real people with feelings, beliefs, and faults. So, if something looks like character bashing, it may be just another side of their personality that I chose to look at through the various facets that ordinary people have.

Thank you for reading, and comments with questions will be answered as I can get to them.


	2. A Recorded Message

“If you’re listening to this, then I’m back with the most important people in my life. Gaia promised that I’d be reunited with them, and I’m taking Her up on that. Especially since it doesn’t seem like they’re coming to me anytime soon. I’m sorry but I’m tired of waiting, of watching everyone else being happy while I stand on the side of the road and wonder when it’s my turn. Cid understands how dreams can only carry you so far before they either become reality or crumble before your eyes. Cid wanted to reach the stars. I simply want my master back.

“It’s been six months since Rufus decided to tell secrets that weren’t his. Six months since I was promised my master, my best friend, and his girlfriend back. In that time, my business has died thanks to not getting my messages and because of the rumors. Reeve, Cid, Vincent, Nanaki, and Yuffie have been wonderful friends, but I can’t keep on like this. I feel like I’m back in Nibelheim. Thank you, Tifa Lockhart, for that.  
“Reeve, there’s a small compartment in Fenrir to hold envelopes. In there are two bank books. One is for Denzel and the other is Marlene’s. They’re set up to automatically pay for their schooling. While Tifa and Barrett don’t want a disgusting amoral pervert near the kids, I won’t let them end up like me. Struggling to read at thirteen.

“Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Ask Tifa who the Strifes were in Nibelhiem. I can guarantee she’ll only have two names, mother and son. No father, cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents, brothers or sisters. Strife was the name forced on an unmarried woman who found herself pregnant, and no one was willing to claim the child. I was a constant reminder of my mother’s faults. While the other kids were able to have a decent education, I was stuck with whatever my mother could teach me. I was barely twelve when I finally left Nibelheim, and just thirteen when I signed my body over to Shinra’s military. Most kids have a nice party with their friends or family for their thirteenth birthday. I got yelled at by the Sergeant for not reading the entire lesson.

“That’s how Zack found me, actually. Sitting in a corner with my books, struggling to teach myself how to read. He struck up a conversation, was willing to talk to me instead of at me, and started helping me read. A few days later, he introduced me to the general. Sephiroth knew I wasn't sixteen, no matter what I'd told Shinra. For a few moments, I thought he was going to send me back to Nibelheim, but instead, he was impressed by my potential and offered me a place in SOLDIER’s mentor program. I had the choice of Zack or Sephiroth as a mentor, the later which also included training for his bedroom once I was of age. Sephiroth was offering me a place to belong, to be someone other than a Strife. How could I refuse?

“Zack told him about my literacy problem, and the first thing he did was insist I keep a daily journal to improve my writing as he taught me how to read. That is the man I willingly call Master. The man who took time out of his very busy schedule to teach a nobody to read and to fight. The man whom I love and who loved me. The man I am willing to die for so we can be together again.

“Reeve, you’re the executor of my last wishes. I only have one small change. In my sanctuary at my house are three swords. Yuffie, they are yours. I only ask that the Buster and Masamune be treated with respect for the warriors that wielded them despite the misery they brought to your people. I’m not asking you to honor the Nightmare or the Demon of Wutai, but the man who reluctantly waged a war he never wanted to fight against honorable people and his second in command who taught him what it meant to be human.

“I think that’s about it. Be safe, my friends, and live long lives. I don’t want you joining me in the Lifestream before you die of old age. I will always watch over you.”


	3. Nothing but Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Warning: Attempted Suicide -

He stood at the edge of the room, staring out of the wall that had once held floor to ceiling windows, and swayed as the wind whistled through the ruined Tower. He was on the 69th floor in the lobby where people once waited to meet President Shinra, but after the Diamond Weapon and then his own fight with the Nightmare, it was the top of the Tower. It seemed only fitting that he come here to end this period of his life since it was Rufus who helped speed his decision.

The wind tugged at the charcoal uniform he wore, and he softly smiled as he straightened the worn fabric. He found it amazing that he had found the First Class uniform that he had worn during the chase after Sephiroth and that he could still fit into it. The only difference in his appearance was that he didn’t have the usual sword across his back. That had been left for someone who could appreciate it.

Reaching into his pouch, Cloud pulled out a vibrant green crystal, and stared at the Mastered materia cupped in his hand. Such a simple and innocent looking item. No one would ever know that it was one of the most deadliest toxins on Gaia. He hated Poison as a rule, but it was the only way to ensure he succeeded. He placed the materia on his bared arm and shuddered as the crystal melted into his skin. It would take a while for the Mastered Poison to work on his system, but it would.

And it wasn’t as if he didn’t have the time to remember.


	4. The Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Warning: Pressure for Sex and sexual favors -
> 
> Takes place 1 year after Advent Children

“I’ll make you a deal.”

Cloud glared up at the smug face of Rufus Shinra before snorting and returning to his bottle. All he wanted to do was sit in the ruined Shinra Tower and mourn the anniversary of his last battle with Sephiroth by way of a crate of strong alcohol. “You don’t have anything I want.”

There was a rustling of cloth before something was dropped next to Cloud on the blanket in a clink of metal. Curious, Cloud glanced over before freezing at the sight of the leather and mithril collar laying there. Tears prickled in his eyes as he stared at the item that stated he had once belonged to the most powerful man on Gaia, that he had been wanted enough to claim even as subtle as this collar. One of the scientists must have taken it off after the Disaster in Nibelheim, because Cloud had the suspicion that Hojo would have simply cut it from him.

“It’s amazing what you can find in old records and forgotten inventory,” remarked Rufus, his voice casual but with a triumphant note to it, and Cloud reached out to wrap his fingers around the collar. “Sephiroth left a great deal of useless items behind when he went to Nibelheim.”

Cloud narrowed his eyes at the implication that he had been along those useless items. While he had been left behind when Sephiroth had turned to Jenova, he wasn’t useless. He hadn’t been since he arrived at Midgar, and Zack introduced him to Sephiroth, knowing that Cloud could give the Silver General what Zack himself couldn’t. He held the collar in his hands as he stared at it while Rufus continued talking.

“It’s a simple arrangement, Cloud. You become my pet, and I will treat you like Sephiroth and Zack did while keeping your secret,” purred Rufus, his voice thick with lust, and Cloud could feel those ice blue eyes traveling over his body as if he were actually touching Cloud.

Laughter spilled out of Cloud as he rose to his feet, harsh and mocking. He raised the collar to his neck, fastening it with practiced eased as he heard Sephiroth whispering in his ear, claiming him and stating only Cloud could remove the collar and return it when the boy grew tired of being a pet. When the last buckle was fastened, Cloud felt something settle within him, a rightness that had been returned to his life. He straightened and turned to face Rufus, his whole manner changed from the melancholy man that Rufus was familiar with after Meteor to the proud warrior that had been trained by the best of Shinra’s Military.

“You are forgetting your place, Rufus Shinra,” purred Cloud as he stalked towards the other blond who had suddenly paled. A small smirk curled the corner of Cloud’s mouth as he stalked towards Rufus, forcing the other man to back up into a wall. Rufus swallowed hard even as his eyes grew wide when his back hit the wall, and Cloud glanced behind Rufus when he caught sight of glimmering green. There was a cracked mirror partially hidden behind the crumbled wall that reflected materia green eyes with slitted pupils instead of mako blue.

There was a slight movement from Rufus, and Cloud’s eyes snapped back to him as the blond SOLDIER leaned his arms against the wall, trapping Rufus between the wall and his body. “Something wrong, Rufus? You’re acting like you don’t want my company anymore. What happened to wanting your own pet SOLDIER?”

Rufus opened his mouth to speak when Cloud shoved his leg between Rufus’, and his smirk grew at the feel of heated flesh pressed against his thigh. “Are you enjoying this, Rufus? The fact that you’re helpless if I should decide to bend you over right here and treat you as you wanted to treat me. Like a toy, a dildo with legs and a ready hole or two. After all, I’m sure that’s how you imagined what I was to Sephiroth.”

He pressed his body against Rufus, rocking their hips together with a violent motion that got a whimpering groan out of Rufus. It didn’t feel like the young man had worn the usual layers he normally did, making Cloud all the more certain that Rufus had showed up to pressure him into sex. “Or perhaps that’s how you want to be treated, forced to relinquish the control you fought your whole life to wrestle away from your old man, left with no other choices of your own except your master’s wishes.”

The words got a shiver and a helpless moan, and Cloud could tell that Rufus was getting close from the trembling in long limbs and slight mewling sounds. It was amazing what Reno would talk about when shit faced drunk. Using the wall behind Rufus as a brace, Cloud shoved himself away from the other man and walked back to his blanket and crate of alcohol, leaving Rufus whimpering in frustration. “I am no man’s pet.”

He scooped up the blanket and stashed it in a corner with the crate before walking past a dazed and frustrated Rufus.

“Sephiroth was a God,” Cloud stated before leaving the Tower, his collar warm and a welcoming weight around his neck.


	5. Reclaiming Helios Fenrir

-Reclaiming Helios Fenrir-

 

It was easy for Cloud to penetrate the ruined Tower’s lower levels. The collar pulled more memories from his mako-addled mind, showing him where to go. After several minutes, he stopped before a metal door that was partially crumpled from the force of the Tower’s destruction.

 

 _This is Storage where those leaving Midgar for an extended period of time put their footlockers,_ Zack’s voice echoed in his mind. _If and when you and the general leave for more than three days, your stuff will be stored down here under the name Helios Fenrir. A bunch of the other guys do it to keep busy bodies out of their personal things._

 

Digging his fingers into the metal door, Cloud pried it out of its frame with a screech of protest. Dropping it to the side, he carefully entered the room, ready for anything that might be living there. Instead, he was greeted with dusty footlockers draped in cobwebs. He strolled over to them, eyes flickering over the various name plates before he found the three he was looking for. Helios Fenrir was inscribed on the small brass plate, and Cloud easily removed them from the stack. It took more than a few minutes, but he was able to get them all out to his bike.

 

He had just managed to get them loaded onto the small, fold out trailer he had cobbled together to haul crates on when the glimmer of polished metal caught his eye. Cautiously, Cloud approached the rubble and moved it aside to reveal a familiar seven foot blade. He could only stare at Masamune for several minutes, afraid to even blink and have it vanish in the few heartbeats his eyes were closed.

 

It was almost ridiculously easy to pull Masamune from the rubble, even if he did have to use both hands. Cloud smiled at the alive feeling the slender blade seemed to radiate. It was almost as if she was eager to work if necessary but willing to rest when not needed

 

“No wonder he was so deadly with you in his hands,” Cloud murmured, turning the blade over in his hands. He swallowed around the lump in his throat as he carefully tied Masamune to the top of the footlockers. Did the appearance of the blade mean that Sephiroth was gone for good? The thought was enough to make him gently run his fingers down the smooth metal. "I'll take good care of her, Master. I promise.”

 

Climbing onto Fenrir, Cloud settled his goggles over his eyes and decided to retrieve the Buster from the cliff. He had an idea for a better tribute to his fallen friends.

 


	6. Untold Truths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut in this chapter

 

They would never know the truth. They couldn’t understand it even if Cloud tried to explain it to them. How could they possibly understand what Sephiroth had once meant to Cloud or how it felt to be owned by such a man, the most treasured possession? He could almost hear the speculations now, the excuses of brainwashing, conditioned responses, hero worship, but Cloud knew that was all that they were. Excuses for people who could never understand.

 

That was the main reason he had bought his house. It was close enough to Edge for various emergencies but far enough away to discourage random people dropping by. He had done all the work on it himself, even creating a special room with a pool in the center of it filled with water from the Church. A fountain trickled in the middle of the pool, adding a pleasant sound to the stillness of the house. Hanging on one of the walls was the polished Buster, its surface scrubbed free of rust and as pristine as it had been when Zack had handed it to him before he had died. Against the opposite wall was the Masamune, hung with reverence and framed by silver silk. None of his allies had seen this room and they never would if Cloud could help it. This was his private refuge now that the Church had constant visitors for the miracle water there.

 

The only furniture in the room were a bed and a dresser scavenged from the SOLDIER’s quarters in the Tower some time after Meteor. The bed was made with soft sheets and scattered with pillows, forming a nice nest where it was tucked against a corner. The dresser had rings attached to the drawers which was threaded with a piece of metal and locked to the bottom of the dresser with a large lock. The key hung on a chain with Cloud’s military tags, clinking against the two extra tags that rested next to the piece of metal stamped with his name. The names on those other two were just as precious to him as any of his possessions. One was Zack Fair, his best friend and the one who had decided long ago to strike up a conversation with a painfully hopeful cadet who only wanted a place to belong. The other was the man who had granted that cadet a place to belong and as much loving attention as he could spare.

 

General Sephiroth.

 

Lying on the bed, Cloud let a hand drift over his body as his other arm was curled up behind his head. Mako blue eyes were fixed on the shimmering length of the Masamune as he curled his fingers around his erection, calluses from wielding a sword catching briefly on sensitive skin, and he gasped at the sensation. He could almost feel the approving gaze linger along his skin as he lightly stroked hard flesh, and a soft moan slipped out of him as he spread his legs, tilting his hips up to expose himself to that imagined gaze. He allowed his eyes to slip shut as he continued stroking, his memories and imagination adding the phantom touches to the sensations.

 

 _So lovely, Pet. Show me what you want,_ purred his memories, and Cloud whimpered as his hand drifted from behind his head to between his legs, pausing briefly to dip his fingers in a jar of oil. The hand on his cock lifted his balls out of the way to give an unobstructed view of his finger slowly sliding into him, stretching tight muscles that weren’t use to this activity any longer.

 

Ghostly fingers brushed over his hair before trailing down his chest to tease the crinkled skin stretched around his fingers. _Do you ache to be filled, my precious? Do you want more?_

 

“Yes, Master,” he moaned, sliding a second finger next to the first. The touches became more real, more solid, and Cloud whimpered as he squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to open them and lose the sensations even though he ached to gaze into materia green eyes unclouded by madness and desperation.

 

A third finger slid into him, long and slender, as teeth nibbled at his jaw, and Cloud tilted his head back baring his throat and revealing the collar that encircled his neck even as he thrust back on the invading fingers. A second hand curled around his wrist and lightly tugged his fingers out of his body. Cloud whimpered in protest before moaning as his fingers were replaced by slender digits that stroked and petted in just the right ways.

 

 _My beautiful Cloud,_ crooned that wonderful voice as silken hair cascaded down his chest, teasing him further as a fourth finger slipped into him. _How much more would you willingly take from me?_

 

“Whatever you’re willing to give, Master Sephiroth,” he whispered, thrusting back on those welcomed fingers. The touches hesitated for a second, the feeling of surprise in the air, before continuing their petting and stroking with an almost desperate fervor. Cloud whimpered and moaned as his climax threatened to crash over him, and he quickly tightened a hand around his cock, getting a warm chuckle for his actions before permission was whispered into his ear. Crying out, he arched off the bed as his release coated his chest before he collapsed on the sheets, panting for breath.

 

 _You are mine, Pet. I will come back to you soon,_ purred that voice as a kiss was brushed across his forehead, and Cloud reluctantly opened his eyes, blinking back the tears that wanted to fall. Something brushed against his skin, and he glanced down in surprise to find a long silver hair sticking to his sweaty skin

 

 


	7. A Good Friend

Reeve had noticed the change in Cloud first. Not that difficult with the two men getting together at least once a week in Reeve’s workshop to work on something together. Which usually resulted in Reeve stripping down to his pants in in an effort to keep his clothes somewhat clean. Cloud preferred to keep a shirt on, even a thin cotton tee, and Reeve just passed it off as a side effect from the blond’s time as Hojo’s experiment.

 

So when Cloud almost absently stripped off his shirt one weekend, it definitely caught Reeve’s attention. It took him a few more seconds to realize that Cloud was wearing a leather collar decorated with mithril, a very expensive piece that looked custom made.

 

“Lovely collar. Did someone give it to you?” Reeve casually inquired as their hands were buried in Fenrir’s engine. Cloud had mentioned a slight pinging noise in the bike’s engine before they had started on anything else, and Reeve had been happy to work on the custom bike.

 

Cloud blinked up at him in surprise, and Reeve got his third shock of the day when he realized that the blond’s eyes were streaked with green. Then Cloud blushed faintly and returned his attention to the engine. “Yeah.”

 

“Cloud, look at me,” requested the engineer, leaning closer to his friend. With a wary expression on his face, Cloud raised his eyes to meet Reeve’s dark gaze. Reeve gently touched Cloud’s chin to hold him there before examining the opaline eyes critically. The pupils were still round, but the irises were definitely streaked with a shade of green normally found in Sephiroth’s eyes. “You’re eyes are green. Is he bothering you?”

 

A faint smile curled Cloud’s lips. “No.”

 

Reeve watched Cloud’s gaze grew distant, as if he were listening to something only he could hear. Probably Zack or Aeris, he decided, knowing the two spirits often talked to Cloud because Cloud occasionally answered them out loud. Dropping his hand, Reeve turned his attention back to the dismantled engine. A few moments later, Cloud nervously licked his lips and glanced at Reeve.

 

“Do you remember much about the General?” Cloud asked, turning his own attention back to the engine. “Sephiroth I mean.”

 

“Not much,” confessed the engineer, tightening a bolt, glad Cloud had specified which general. “The SOLDIERs were notorious for closing ranks against any outsider who might be a threat, and they were all very protective of Sephiroth. Angeal and Genesis were just as bad for all their friendly bickering.” He looked at the blond, a serious expression on his face. “You can tell me anything, Cloud. You know that, right?”

 

That got another of those small, shy smiles. “Thanks, Reeve. Just for being my friend.”

 

“Who else would be willing to get good and dirty with me while chatting about the good old days at Shinra?” Reeve teased. “You know Cid’s head is always in the clouds and most of the time he’d rather plan on how to upgrade the _Shera_ ’s engines.”

 

The bright smile Cloud gave him was worth all the unanswered questions Reeve had. He would wait until Cloud was ready to tell him whatever was on his mind. He was his friend, he could be patient.

 


	8. Birthday Surprises

It was Yuffie’s 19th birthday, and AVALANCHE had gathered in Wutai to celebrate. Lord Godo was throwing his daughter a celebration worthy of the Lady of Wutai and the people gathered to shower her with gifts. The evening was concluded with a huge feast with everyone of importance gathered there. Yuffie insisted that Cloud sit next to her so she could have someone to talk to and tease. Her father had his Companion with him so she couldn’t really talk to him, and they still weren’t on the best of speaking terms.

 

There were jugglers, acrobats, contortionists, and musicians to entertain everyone through the feasting. Yuffie would throw comments at Cloud, trying to get him to blush but more often than not he'd snark right back at her, making her laugh. Not to say that she gave up on trying to get him to blush.

 

Finally when dessert was being served, Godo smiled at her. “I have arranged something for you this evening, my Daughter,” he announced before clapping his hands.

 

Before Yuffie could bug him to know what it was, an elegant lady in a traditional kimono and decorations entered with a man and a younger woman behind her. The man was dressed in a simple gi and hakama while the younger woman appeared to be wearing only a yukata. All three bowed deeply to the head table.

 

“Greetings, Your Highness, and may you have many wonderful years,” the woman greeted. “I am Madam Chin of the Golden Lotus House.”

 

 _That_ caught Yuffie’s attention immediately. The Golden Lotus was an upper class house where company could be purchased for a price, specializing in everything from simple tea ceremonies to intricate bondage that was a work of art in itself.

 

“My present to you is a demonstration in the art of shibari,” continued Madam Chin as the man produced a coil of rope from somewhere. The young woman stood and slipped off her yukata, revealing she wore nothing underneath. “Master Yung will lead the demonstration with the assistance of Water Lily.” Yuffie grinned, excited, as Water Lily knelt before Master Yung. Okay so maybe her father wasn’t quite as idiotic as she had thought.

 

A stuttered excuse caught her attention, and she looked down the table in time to watch Tifa and Barrett flee the room with Tifa as red as a tomato. Madam Chin looked at Yuffie, but Yuffie shook her head, indicating for her to continue with the demonstration.

 

Black rope was wrapped around Water Lily, decorating her body with intricate designs, as Master Yung walked around her while Madam Chin stood off to one side so as to not block Yuffie’s view of Water Lily. Yuffie watched with open fascination as the woman was turned into a living piece of art. It looked extremely complicated when finished, but it hadn’t been, not really. Just a few twists of the rope here, a few ties there, and it was done.

 

“Can you teach me how to do that, Madam Chin?” Yuffie asked, her eyes fixed on Water Lily’s bound form. Master Yung had laid the young woman on the floor when she had started swaying and was now crouched next to her, checking her limbs to ensure she had good circulation.

 

“Certainly,” agreed Madam Chin, starting to move over to Water Lily, her hands outstretched to untie her.

 

“Don’t.” The wistful word hung in the air, and Yuffie turned to find a matching look on Cloud’s face as he stared at Water Lily. “It’s too nice to undo so soon. You can let her practice on me if you wish.”

 

Madam Chin glanced at Master Yung who produced a second coil of rope, this one smaller than the one tied around Water Lily. She accepted it and motioned for Yuffie and Cloud to approach. Cloud shrugged out of his shirt, leaving it at his spot before following Yuffie to kneel before Madam Chin, his back to her and his arms folded behind his back with his wrists next to his elbows. That got a surprised blink from Madam Chin, and Yuffie frowned at her friend’s back thoughtfully. He had automatically taken that position, not placed in it by Madam Chin.

 

Yuffie watched as Madam Chin started slowly wrapping the rope around Cloud’s arms, explaining as she went. Yuffie nodded, but her eyes kept flickering to Cloud who was growing more and more relaxed with each pass of the rope. He leaned back slightly when Madam Chin positioned him to wrap the rope around his chest and didn’t move. When the last bit of rope was tied off to finish the harness, Cloud slid sideways with a dazed expression in his face. Madam Chin quickly redirected his fall into her lap before staring into his face.

 

"He has had training," she said in a soft voice, a faint frown showing. "Is his Master or Mistress here?"

 

“He’s never mentioned one,” confessed Yuffie, her eyes large as she stared at her friend. Cloud was someone’s Companion? For Madam Chin to be asking for the master or mistress meant that Cloud was fully trained as a Companion. She glanced up at the table before grinning at Vincent, acting as if nothing was wrong. “Hey Vinnie, can you help us get Cloud into the next room? He’s fallen asleep on us.”

 

There was a quiet murmur from various people that had attended the birthday feast. Many of them had Companions as well and knew exactly what her words meant. It was bad manners to announce that a Companion had fallen into _that_ mind set in public, so it was passed off as they fell asleep. Vincent rose from the table and walked over to kneel next to them as Cid, Reeve, and Nanaki stood up to follow them.

 

“You can take him to my rooms. They’re closer,” Godo offered, walking over with his Companion trailing along behind him, and Vincent nodded as he stood with Cloud in his arms. Together the group headed towards Godo’s quarters with Madam Chin following with a concerned frown on her face.

 

Once Vincent had placed Cloud on the futon, Madam Chin started untying the rope harness with quick efficiency. Godo brought over a blanket to cover Cloud and started rubbing his arms as soon as they were untied, keeping an eye on his face. “Are his eyes not blue?”

 

“Sure, like a clear sky,” agreed Yuffie with a frown, wondering why her father was asking about Cloud's eyes.

 

Godo shifted slightly to show where Cloud's eyes. The only thing keeping her shuriken out of her hands was the fact that his green eyes lacked the slit pupil he got when Sephiroth tugged at his strings. "Because the only other person I have seen with this eye color was the Demon."

 

“Cloud said that Sephiroth hasn’t been bothering him,” remarked Reeve. Yuffie looked up to find a thoughtful frown on his face.

 

“What are you talking about, Reeve?” Cid demanded, turning to glare suspiciously at Reeve.

 

Reeve smiled softly as he knelt next to Cloud. “Cloud is a bit closer to the Lifestream than any of us,” he explained. “Aeris and Commander Fair often talk to him. I know because I’ve heard at least his half of the conversation a couple of times.”

 

“So since Sephiroth is part of the Lifestream, there’s the possibility that he’s talking to Cloud too?” Yuffie asked, turning that thought over in her mind.

 

There was a confused hum from Cloud as he started to stir. “Master?”

 

"Who is your master, young one?" inquired Madam Chin, her voice soft and soothing as she stroked Cloud’s hair.

 

A whimper of distress pulled her attention back to Cloud, and Yuffie knelt next to him as he buried his face in Madam Chin’s lap.

 

"He’s gone, he left me," he softly moaned, and Yuffie felt her heart breaking for her friend. No true Master would _ever_ willingly leave their companion, but that’s what happened with Cloud. She glanced up to find Cid, Nanaki and even Vincent moving to sit close to their friend, offering comfort in his distress.

 


	9. Startling Discoveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Voyeurism and crude language

 

Many would accuse Reno of being stupid, but that was because they didn’t know him and accepted his Slums punk appearance as the Gospel Truth. He was anything but stupid, especially when it came to his job as a Turk. So when Rufus Shinra returned to the office all hot, bothered and furious before ordering the Turks to put Cloud under surveillance, Reno knew the Boss’ current state had to do with big, blond and broody. It had taken a while with everything else going on, but Tseng had eventually assigned Reno the wonderful job of playing voyeur for Rufus Shinra.

 

Normally, Reno wouldn’t have gotten anywhere close to the person he was watching, but this was Cloud Fucking Strife, the man who could tie Rude into knots without breaking a sweat and who had taken on Sephiroth three times and _won_. Which meant if Reno wanted to keep himself healthy, he would inform Strife why he was stalking him day and night. At least, that was the excuse Reno told himself when he slipped into the backyard of Strife’s house and moved towards the back door. He paused with his hand raised to knock as his ears caught a faint noise. He waited and was rewarded with a repeat of the noise. A low breathy moan.

 

Oh this was just too good. Getting an eyeful of Blond and Brooding jerking off like a horny teenager would just make Reno’s day. Especially if any incriminating names were whispered during such a session. Smirking, Reno slipped inside the house and followed the moans up to the second floor. He froze at the first door he came to, unable to move or even really breathe at the sight that greeted him.

 

Cloud knelt on the bed as he worked a large dildo in his ass, sweat shimmering on his skin. The look on his face was one of devoted ecstasy, as if whomever he was pretending that dildo belonged to was some lost love, and Reno licked dry lips as he watched, small details registering in his mind.

 

The flesh colored latex that was fucking Cloud was the right shade for one of those make it yourself dildo kits, meaning that the dick that had created that dildo’s mold had belonged to someone important to Cloud since it was bigger than the blond’s own. A fact Reno was able to verify when Cloud sat back on his heels, driving the dildo farther into him while grasping his weeping cock to stroke in time with each thrust of the dildo. The way Cloud’s other hand came down to move his balls out of the way, giving a clear view of the dildo fucking his ass as if he were use to someone watching him like this.

 

The leather and mithril collar around the blond’s neck with the light glinting off a symbol that only one man had ever used to mark his property.

 

Reno bit his lip hard enough to draw blood as Cloud cried out in denial as he jerked on the latex cock, coming over his hand even as tears slid down his face. The Turk couldn’t move, watching Cloud collapse on the bed with sobbing shudders as he whispered for the man who had collared him.

 

A man who Cloud had been forced to fight and kill for the safety of the world.

 

When mako bright eyes slid shut, Reno was finally able to move. He slipped into the room and scooped up the blanket that had been knocked off the bed before spreading it over the sleeping blond. His actions produced a questioning whimper before Cloud settled again when Reno brushed a comforting hand over blond spikes. He would report his observations to Tseng, letting him know that Cloud Strife was so far out of Rufus’ reach that Rufus wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in Ifrit’s hands of reaching the warrior.

  
It wasn’t until he was back in his car that Reno realized his pants were stained with his own release.


	10. An Evening Off

Pushing open the door, Cloud looked around the pub called  _Briefing 49_ before making his way over to the bar. There were a lot of people in the pub this afternoon, and Cloud wondered if he had come at a bad time. The laughter that filled the air indicated high spirits and no one bothered to throw him out before he reached an empty seat at the bar, so he figured it was just a busy time. The bartender/owner, Raleigh Viscount, wandered over and grinned at him. “Afternoon, Mr. Strife. What can I get for you?”

 

Cloud dug into his wallet and put a couple of large bills on the counter. He had delivered to the pub enough times that Raleigh knew him by sight, and Could couldn’t get the man who was at least ten years older than him to call him by his first name. “A bottle of Bahamut’s Flames and the rest as a tab,” he remarked before nodding to the rest of the room. “Will they mind if I hold up a seat for a few hours?”

 

“Nah, just a buncha blokes having a good time and remembering,” Raleigh stated, placing a bottle of the potent alcohol on the bar next to a shot glass. He grinned, glowing golden eyes meeting Cloud’s. “They won’t have any trouble with you.”

 

Instead of replying, Cloud simply poured a shot and quickly downed the rum, hissing slightly at the burn as it slid down his throat. A second shot was poured and downed, and he felt more tension sliding out of his shoulders at the alcoholic burn. This was what he needed, a chance to escape from everything and everyone for a few hours and forget himself in a crowd of strangers. Laughter rang out through the room again as Cloud poured a third shot, intending to savor this one, when he looked in the mirror behind the bar and felt the breath freeze in his lungs.

 

Everyone in the pub had glowing eyes.

 

He had known Raleigh had been a First Class the first time he had dropped off a delivery, and he had been around the various ex-SOLDIERs that Reeve hired for security and odd jobs. However, Cloud had never been around this many SOLDIERs since Nibelheim. Cloud was just starting to think that he might want to leave when one of the men stood with a drink in his hand.

 

“Gentlemen, and I use that term loosely,” drawled the man, getting several snickers and cat calls his way before he raised his glass higher in an obvious toast. Curious, Cloud turned on his seat, the forgotten shot glass in his hand as he watched. “To the generals! May they be happy wherever they are!”

 

“To the generals!” chorused the room before glasses were being tossed back. Only Cloud’s drink remained untouched. He couldn’t drink to that toast, not when he _knew_ Sephiroth wasn’t happy where he was. Why else would he be working so hard to get back to Cloud?

 

“Hey, SOLDIER, why didn’t you join in the toast?” Cloud blinked and looked up in surprise to find a large mountain of a man with glowing violet eyes standing there, a frown on his face. The man bent closer to Cloud and seemed to study him. “You look familiar, but I don’t remember you. Who are you?”

 

This had been a mistake. Cloud was trying to figure out the easiest way to extract himself from the situation when he felt a ghostly finger brush down his neck to trace along the collar he wore. _Tell them the truth, my pet,_ whispered Sephiroth’s voice in his ear. _Tear away the lies of Shinra._

 

“Private Cloud Strife.” Cloud raised his chin a bit as he slid off the stool to face the man. That sent surprised mutterings between the men, but he continued to look at the one who had challenged him.

 

“Private? How did a _private_ get the eyes of a First?” demanded the man, shock clear on his face.

 

“To answer that question means I’m going to be sharing some _very_ ugly truths about Shinra if anyone would prefer to avoid that,” Cloud remarked, his voice carrying through the pub. “Including what happened during the Nibelheim Mission.”

 

“How do we know we can trust your word?” called a voice in the crowd.

 

Cloud chuckled and looked around the room. “Who here would recognize Sephiroth’s mark when they saw it?”

 

A young man with warm golden eyes and blond hair stepped forward. “I would,” he stated before blinking at Cloud in sheer surprise. “Loki’s Balls! You were that cadet that Commander Fair was always dragging around!”

 

“What do you mean, Kunzel?” asked the first man, turning to look at the new arrival.

 

Kunzel walked right up to Cloud and chuckled as he looked at the leather and mithril around Cloud’s neck. “Looks like you were more than just Commander Fair’s cadet,” he drawled, and Cloud simply stared at Kunzel with pride. Kunzel continued to look at Cloud even as he addressed the rest of the room. “Strife might have been the late Commander Fair’s friend but he was also the Silver General’s pet.”

 

Dead silence. Cloud looked around to find everyone staring at him in stunned surprise, but instead of curling in on himself and scurrying from the room like his initial instinct demanded, he drew on the part of him that still carried Zack. Crossing his arms, he canted his weight to one side and stared back, challenging each one in the room. “Anyone wanna leave?”

 

Chuckling, Kunzel shook his head. “I don’t think you could pry us out of this place with a Summons.”

 

Nodding, Cloud sat back on his stool and picked up his shot glass. Staring at the clear liquid, he wondered where to start when he had a flash of a memory. A redhead with a hand on his shoulder, walking out of the door with slumped shoulders as he and Angeal watched him go. He knew instantly that it was Sephiroth’s memory, and he smiled softly before sobering up. “It started with General Rhapsodos.”

 

He didn’t know how long he talked, but he told them everything. The degeneration of Angeal and Genesis and their abandonment of Shinra in hopes of a cure. Sephiroth being manipulated by Hojo and Jenova, and his breakdown in Nibelheim. His own time with Zack in Hojo’s hands. Everything Shinra had covered up and lied about for almost a decade came pouring out of him. The abandoned bottle of rum lay on the bar as Cloud switched to water. He didn’t want to get lost in the alcohol while he was talking.

 

Finally, he finished with the Silver Haired Trio, Jenova’s head, and Sephiroth’s last return that lead to the curing of the Geostigma. He just sat there, feeling completely wrung out. Never before had he told _anyone_ the entire story, some because they had been a part of it, and other parts had been too private to share. But Sephiroth wanted him to speak, so Cloud had bared his memories for the entire room.

 

“A toast,” a voice suddenly called out, and Cloud looked up to find every eye in the room on him. “To Cloud Strife, one of the bravest men alive!”

 

“To Cloud Strife!” came the cheer before drinks were being thrown back. Unable to help it, a blush stole across Cloud’s cheeks as he ducked his head. He wasn’t use to such attention.

 

Kunzel chuckled and shook his head. “At least now I know why only troopers were called out that time,” he mused, pouring himself another drink. “Shinra wouldn’t trust us to hunt down and kill Zack. So, they drum out the grunts to do the dirty work.”

 

“They’re trying to come back.” The words suddenly escaped from Cloud, and he looked around at everyone. “Sephiroth, Zack, and Aeris are at least. They have to get rid of Jenova’s influence in the Lifestream before they can though.” He frowned, thoughtfully. “I think General Hewely’s helping them, but I don’t know for sure.”

 

“And Genesis? What about him?” asked a voice.

 

Cloud shook his head. “I don’t know anything about General Rhapsodos. No one has mentioned anything about him.”

 

Kunzel laughed. “Give it time, boys,” he drawled. “Genesis hated remaining backstage for any longer than necessary. He’ll make some grand entrance to ensure we never forget him again.”

 

Laughter rang out through the air, and more glasses were raised in toasts. This time, Cloud’s glass joined them.


	11. Certain Point of View

The rustle of cloth sounded behind Rufus and he glanced back to see Tseng standing there, calm and untouchable as ever. It had been a surprise when Reno had flat-out refused to accompany Rufus to the bar, but Tseng had stepped in and assigned Reno his desk duty for the week while he took over guarding Rufus. Shifting the small box in his arms, Rufus put a concerned mask on and started towards the door of _Seventh Heaven_.

 

Seven pairs of eyes looked up as he entered, and he noted with delight that Strife was no where to be seen. His quick call to arrange this meeting was bearing fruit already. “Good, I’m glad you were able to make it.”

 

“You called this meeting, so what do ya want, Rufus?” drawled Cid, exhaling a cloud of smoke towards the ceiling. Rufus noted with distaste that the pilot was as scruffy looking as ever and wondered for the thousandth time how such a person managed to make it into Shinra’s Air Force.

 

“It’s Cloud,” began Rufus, inwardly pleased when he realized he had everyone's undivided attention with those two words. He tipped the box out on the table to display some worn leather restraints, a few adult toys that required two people, and some incriminating photos. “I found something and gave it back to him. Unfortunately, it appears it has jogged some memories loose and now that I've found this,” he waved a hand at the so-called evidence. “I was... concerned.”

 

The pictures had been pulled from security footage, but the rest of it was right out of some First’s foot locker. Not that they would realize the difference. Tifa was the first to reach for the photographs, and Rufus stepped back to allow her to approach. He was quite proud of those photos. All of them showed Sephiroth and a young Cloud Strife in questionable positions, but one clearly showed the leather and mithril collar.

 

As she flipped through the pictures, her face grew paler until the pictures finally slid from her grip, scattering on the table. She had a stunned look on her face as she backed up, reaching blindly behind her after bumping into the bar. Unscrewing the cap on the bottle, she took a large swig before exploding into a coughing fit.

 

“What’s got you in such a state?” grumbled Barrett, bending over to scoop up the pictures. He was careful not to touch the sex toys, Rufus noticed, almost as if he might catch something just by coming into contact with them. Barrett looked through the photos, his face turning red with anger and embarrassment before slamming them down on the table hard enough to crack the wood. “I ain’t gonna believe that Cloud was doing... that with Sephiroth!”

 

He stabbed a finger towards the photos with a grimace of disgust before turning to face Rufus. “How do we know this ain’t some trick?”

 

Rufus spread his hands, the very picture of wounded innocence. “What could I possibly gain by showing you this?”

 

“Where do you want me to start?” drawled Strife, entering from the back room of the bar. He walked over and glanced down at the items scattered on the table before looking scornfully at Rufus. “Who did you get _those_ from? They’re certainly not mine.”

 

“How can you be sure?” croaked Tifa, her eyes pinned on Strife as if she was looking for something to indicate the pictures were wrong.

 

“They don’t have Sephiroth’s mark,” he stated, tilting his head to show off the mark on his collar. Instead of reassuring her, Tifa turned a strange shade of green before she raced around the bar to get sick in the sink. Even Barrett was looking slightly sick at that information.

 

“Besides,” Strife continued, walking over to scoop up one of the cuffs. He easily fastened it around his wrist with practiced ease before holding it up for inspection. The worn hole allowed the leather to fit snugly around his wrist. “These belonged to someone who was larger than I was.”

 

It was only due to years of hiding his emotions that kept Rufus from crowing in delight at the angry looks appearing on the faces of Strife’s friends. This was going beautifully, and the blond himself had provided the final nails in his own coffin.

 

“Get out,” whispered Tifa, glaring at Strife with a look of pure fury. Strife blinked at her in surprise as he unfastened the cuff. She slammed her hand down on the bar before pointing to the door. “Get out, Cloud Strife, and _never_ come back! I won’t have someone like you around Denzel!”

 

For a moment, it looked like Strife might argue with Tifa about her decision, but instead he nodded and proudly walked out the back. Rufus wondered how long that pride would last when he found himself alone. He would bide his time, give Strife a taste of what is was to be abandoned by everyone, and then renew his offer, knowing that by that time, Strife would be desperate for companionship of any kind.

 

Beautiful and simple.

 


	12. Riding to the Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back in Present Day

Standing on the bridge of the _Shera_ , Reeve resisted the urge to pace or fidget. It wouldn’t do anything other than irritate Cid, and it certainly wouldn’t help them reach their destination any sooner. His eyes glanced over at Marlene who was standing at the huge windows, a worried look on her face, and he hoped that they would be in time for her sake.

 

Marlene had burst into Reeve’s office at WRO about a half hour ago, babbling something about Cloud and Aeris and needing to stop him before he did something he would regret. It had taken a few minutes for Reeve to get her calmed down enough to get the full story out of her, and when he did, it was enough to chill his blood.

 

“Aeris says that Cloud’s going to kill himself to return to the Lifestream,” she said, her dark eyes wide with worry. “He’s tired and lonely and heartsick and just wants everyone he loves back again. We gotta stop him, we gotta go _now!_ "

 

It had been the work of minutes to contact everyone who still regarded Cloud as a friend before he and Marlene waited for the _Shera_ on the roof. Reeve had casually asked after Barrett, he had been informed by Marlene that her father was being stupid again so Denzel and Mrs. Gainsborough were keeping him and Tifa busy while they rescued Cloud.

 

“There he is!” Marlene cried, snapping Reeve out of his thoughts, and he joined her at the window with the others as they peered out of the glass to pick out the blond among the rubble.

 

“I don’t think we’ll be able to get close to him with the _Shera_ without the risk of him falling because of the downdraft.,” Nanaki remarked. “He’s too close to the edge as it is.”

 

Reeve glanced over at Vincent, finding an unreadable expression on the gunman’s face. “Can Chaos get to him?”

 

Instead of immediately replying, Vincent frowned out the window, his eyes unfocused as he listened to whatever his demons were talking about before shaking his head. “He won’t answer.”

 

That surprised Reeve. Vincent usually had trouble shutting his demons up, so to have them refuse to answer was very strange.

 

There was a soft pattering of rain on the glass, and Reeve looked over to find that it was indeed rain despite the lack of clouds. The last time there had been rain during a clear day, Aeris had sent the Healing Rains to cure the ‘Stigma.

 

“No!” cried Yuffie, pounding on the glass, and Reeve’s head snapped around to watch as Cloud plummeted. There was no way any of them could possibly catch the blond, not as unenhanced as they were. Not without Chaos. He could only watch with a growing sense of helplessness as Cloud plummeted to the ground.

 

Suddenly there was a flash of light and a streak of black and silver came shooting from the sky. Reeve pressed against the large windows, trying to watch as the light caught up with Cloud and black tendrils wrapped around the falling blond. No, not tendrils, _arms_. With that definition, the rest of the figure came into sharp focus. Shimmering silver became a long banner of hair while fluttering black was a trench coat.

 

“Sephiroth,” he breathed, his eyes wide as he watched the man pull Cloud close. He glanced back over his shoulder at Cid. “Down! Take us down!”

 

Instead of arguing, the pilot steered the massive ship towards the ground even as there were two more streaks of color, one black and the other pink. Reeve watched as Sephiroth hit the ground, a large crater forming at the force of their impact. There were two other smaller craters formed when the other two landed next to Sephiroth and Reeve was out the door the second the Shera hit the ground.

 

 


	13. Called on the Carpet

Following behind Reeve, Yuffie easily navigated the rubble to slip over the lip of the shallow crater and stopped a few feet away from where a very familiar figure in a SOLDIER’s charcoal uniform was standing between them and the two cuddled around Cloud. Zack's arms were folded over his chest as he glared at them, daring them to make a move towards Sephiroth and Cloud. She grinned and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in an enthusiastic hug.

 

“Zack!" she shouted and she smirked as she felt his arms wrap around her. He was so predictable. Drawing back a foot, she kicked him as hard as she could in the shin, getting a startled yelp from him before he dropped her. “Jerk! How _dare_ you go an’ die on me like that! After all your talk ‘bout being able to fight an army. And you left Cloud alone!”

 

“Nice to see you too, Yuffie,” grumbled Zack, bending down to rub his bruised shin.

 

She snorted and folded her arms. Her eyes flicked to Sephiroth before returning to Zack, and she raised a brow, silently asking if they should be readying weapons to take out an insane Sephiroth. Zack beamed and shook his head, getting a big smile from Yuffie. If anyone knew Sephiroth’s state of mind, it would be Zack and Aeris.

 

“How’s Cloud doing?” Yuffie asked, bouncing on her toes as she heard the others come up behind her. They were all worried about the blond, but she was the one who managed to get the question haunting them out first.

 

“He’s being stubborn, but that shouldn’t be any surprise,” muttered Aeris, and Yuffie moved around Zack to watch Aeris slowly pull a materia crystal from Cloud’s arm. It looked like it had turned into a thick liquid, and Aeris was trying to ease it out without breaking it. “It’s horrible that he actually sat down and planned out a way that was guaranteed to kill him. After all, not even a First could survive a Mastered Poison absorbed into their body along with a fall off the top of the Tower.”

 

“He _absorbed_ a _Mastered Poison_?” demanded Cid, and Yuffie felt her own eyebrows climb towards her hairline. It was unheard of for _anyone_ to be able to just absorb materia into their bodies to use. Normally, materia had to be equipped in an item or weapon for it to be used.

 

“It is possible for one to absorb materia directly into their bodies,” remarked Sephiroth, his voice soft and a bit strained. “But unless one is skilled in such an act, there is the strong possibility of the materia acting against the person.”

 

With a cry of triumph, Aeris held up the materia before tossing it at Zack. “Hold this for me.”

 

“Sure, babe,” agreed the SOLDIER, tucking it away before brushing rain soaked hair out of his eyes. Yuffie blinked as she realized not only was it still raining lightly but the water also had a strange tingling feeling to it, much like a Restore spell. “So, should we head to the Church to talk about things or is there another place to go?”

 

“The Church,” stated Sephiroth, his voice firm. “He needs the pool. The Poison Materia has done extensive damage that requires further healing.”

 

Zack nodded as Sephiroth slowly stood up, Cloud cradled in his arms, and Aeris rose to her feet, brushing at her skirt as she looked at them with disappointment. Yuffie ducked her head under that look and scuffed the toe of her boot in the dust. She felt like she’d just gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar before dinner. Unable to help it, Yuffie blurted out the first thing on her mind. "Cloud just wouldn't _talk_ to **_anyone_**!"

 

Aeris reassuringly patted the ninja's cheek. “Don’t worry, we know full well who’s to blame. But that’s not to say you couldn’t have tried a bit harder,” she huffed, glancing around again, and Yuffie ducked her head lower. It was true she hadn’t been able to call Cloud more than once a week, but Godo was turning over more of the responsibilities of Wutai to her, and she had to learn to lead her people.

 

Reeve had a distressed look on his face as his eyes danced between them, and Zack grinned at him, reassuringly. “She’s not talking about you. We watched you try daily. Not your fault Spike's stubborn enough to beat a momma chocobo.”

 

Cid humphed and gestured for everyone to follow him. “Better get Blondie to the Church ‘fore he decides to abandon us for the Lifestream,” he grumbled, heading back for the _Shera_. Yuffie meekly followed behind Aeris as Zack, Sephiroth and Reeve brought up the rear, talking too quietly for her to eavesdrop.

 

But at least Cloud’s people were back with him now. That was a good thing.

 


	14. Liquid Comfort

He felt like he was floating. Despite the strong arms around him, holding him close to an equally strong body, he was floating. There were familiar voices talking, but he was content to remain as he was. He sighed, completely at peace for the first time in so long, and curled a bit closer to the person holding him.

 

“I think he’s waking up,” mused one of the voices. Male and very friendly, Cloud realized as he tried to go back to sleep. He had been so comfortable for the first time in _years_ , and he didn’t want to give up that peace now.

 

“I’ve... never seen him look so peaceful,” remarked a female voice said, sounding both wistful and subdued. Cloud could almost picture the person it belonged to, a young woman with an impish smile and good heart.

 

"Me either," another voice agreed, and that voice tugged at Cloud more than the others. This one inspired trust and camaraderie, sharing the good memories while others only saw the bad.

 

"It's been a while, yeah," the first voice agreed and the sadness in it made Cloud ache.

 

Wet fingers stroked his face, gentle and caring, and he absently turned into that touch. It was familiar and welcome, but part of him wanted to flinch away, which was silly. That touch had never hurt him. Had it? His brow wrinkled in confusion as he tried to coax the elusive memory out, wanting to know why he should be wary of such a touch.

 

“Hey, does anyone happen to have a permanent marker?” inquired the first voice. The tone of voice instantly caught Cloud's attention, distracting him from his confusion because he _knew_ someone was going to be trouble if he didn't pay attention..

 

“Why do you want a marker?” inquired the second male voice.

 

“Wanted to see how well he'd look with glasses and maybe a mustache,” replied the first voice only to laugh when there was the soft sound of someone being hit in a playful manner. There was a warm chuckle near his ear, and he shifted closer, wanting to hear more of that sound. Something wet and cold brushed against his skin getting a deeper frown as a sense of deja vu swept over him. Had he been in this position before?

 

"You should wake up Cloud, before Zack manages to find that marker," a smooth voice remarked, and he knew it had to belong to the person with the warm chuckle and confusing touch. "I'm not sure I can stop him when he's this determined, not by myself."

 

That got a laughing protest, but it was enough of an incentive for Cloud to pry his eyes open. The first thing he saw was a pale expanse of skin framed by black leather, before his eyes focused on the fall of silver hair. Memories rushed back when he caught sight of the cat eyes and Cloud scrambled for the far side of the pool as he stared at Sephiroth.

 

“Easy, Spike. You’re gonna have a heart attack before you're thirty if you keep jumping like that,” teased that familiar voice. Looking around, Cloud found that he was in the ruins of the Church with Zack and Aeris grinning at him while his other friends were watching a bit farther away.

 

The sound of splashing water reminded Cloud about Sephiroth and he turned to watch the man. Was this Jenova's Puppet or his lover returned? He glanced at Zack, silently asking him. Zack beamed at Cloud, offering a double thumbs up in return. Hope bloomed in his heart as he turned back to stare at Sephiroth. "Master?"

 

As I promised, Cloud," Sephiroth replied. Cloud threw himself into the other man's arms, burying his face in his master's neck as he held on tight. He ignored the surprised gasps behind him, as they didn't matter. No one else mattered right then.

 

His master was back.

 


	15. Confession is Good for the Soul

Reeve watched as the two embraced, the tension vanishing as if it'd never been there, and he smiled despite the tears. It was nice to see the two together again, reunited despite the insanity and manipulation that tore them apart. His eyes flickered over to where Zack was curled around Aeris as they watched the reunited lovers, and he wandered over to sit next to them.

 

“Can I ask you a question, Commander Fair?” inquired Reeve, folding his hands in his lap.

 

Zack grinned at him. “Only if you call me Zack.”

 

Reeve chuckled. “Fair enough,” he agreed before returning his attention to the lovers in the water. “Why did you choose Cloud for Sephiroth? Why a thirteen year old boy?”

 

“Because I thought he was sixteen at the time,” Zack replied, with a soft chuckle. “Coulda knocked me over with a feather when I learned otherwise. As for why him? Because I couldn't be what Sephiroth needed. The best I could be was a really good friend. We tried more during Wutai, both of us needing something more than the fighting, but Sephiroth... needed something more.”

 

Zack sighed. "Every other part of his life had been dictated by someone else. Even after he grew his hair out in protest, the PR people loved it so much he was threatened if he ever cut it. The only time he could be just Sephiroth and take back a little control was in the bedroom. So, since I couldn’t be what he needed, I decided to find someone who could.”

 

Reeve glanced over to find an amused smile being tossed at him. "No one would think anything of me flirting with some cadet, or joking with troopers. They would be a bit more wary of Sephiroth doing the same, however, so I decided to help. Besides, can you really imagine him in a sex shop?"

 

“Shinra’s Silver General in a sex shop? The media would have had a field day,” sighed Reeve, understanding more about the strange friendship that brought a young teen into the General’s bed.

 

Zack nodded as Aeris curled a bit closer to him. “So, I bought the items Seph wanted on the pretense of teasing him and he quietly reimbursed me. The only thing he personally bought was the collar. Of course, he also designed it and had it commissioned close to Yule, so people would assume it was something for Rufus' pet since it was required he get something for the brat every year."

 

“How did you meet Cloud?” inquired Reeve as Yuffie and Cid joined him. A quick glance at the pool showed Cloud and Sephiroth were still wrapped around each other with no sign of moving any time soon.

 

That got a bright grin. “I found him in the stable.”

 


	16. He Followed Me Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place 3 years before Nibelheim

Zack sighed in frustration as he headed towards the stables. He had just gotten back from a long mission in Junon and wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed and forget all about the report he still had to write. But before he could even look at his computer, he wanted to check up on Raiden, Sephiroth’s chocobo. Sephiroth was still away on his mission to Fort Condor, and the two of them were the only ones who could get near the picky feather duster to clean him. He’d let someone in long enough to feed him and change his water. After that, a person better be outside his stall or they’d lose fingers.

 

Entering the stable, he smiled at the relaxed atmosphere. It was hard to be tense and exhausted with the sounds of chocobos shifting in their stalls and the scent of hay in the air. There were days that he wanted to grab Seph and drag him into the barn to hide for a good couple of hours where no one could find them. It would do the Silver General a world of good to have straw in his hair while the biggest problem he had to deal with was what book to read next. A smile stretched across his face at that. Maybe he’d find a way to do that as a Yule present or something.

 

As he stood in the door, a new sound caught his attention. It was a voice, low enough that he would have had trouble hearing it if he hadn’t been a First. Curious to know what someone was doing in the stable this late at night, he started towards the source. He was increasingly surprised to find himself walking towards Raiden's stall, and even more surprised to find the person was reading out loud from the so-called "military history" book the cadets were assigned.

 

“Despite all this, the Wutainese people would not yield to President Shinra.” Zack frowned in confusion at the slow reading. There were even a few words where the person sounded them out before putting everything together. “They would launch su-i-cide...” The voice stopped as there was the sound of pages being flipped, and Zack was finally able to peer into the stall to see the owner of the voice.

 

He couldn’t have been more than sixteen and was scrawny for his age, with blond hair that made him look more like one of chocobos. He was sitting with his back against Raiden, his book propped up on his knees while a second, larger book was lying open in the hay next to him. A finger was running down the thick book's page before stopping when the boy nodded to himself. He returned his attention to the book in his lap. “Suicide attacks against the SOLDIERs using... j..ji..jisa...”

 

“Jisatsu or suicide types,” Zack announced, leaning on the stall door. The change in the teen was instantaneous. He jumped up, spilling his book on the hay and stared at Zack with wide blue eyes. For a second, Zack thought that one of the Fey had decided to pay the stable a visit, before he realized that the kid was wearing a cadet’s uniform and was raising a shaky hand to salute. He waved him back down. “At ease, Cadet.”

 

Raiden glared at Zack from where he was sitting in his stall and clacked his beak, as if scolding the First Class for bothering his friend. Zack just continued grinning as he watched the cadet place a calming hand on the side of the black chocobo’s neck, and the ruffled feathers smoothed again. “You certainly have a way with him. Most people are too terrified of him to even get close to his stall.”

 

“He’s not that bad. Just tired of being cooped up,” murmured the cadet, burying both hands into black feathers. “He doesn’t let anyone bother me while I’m studying.”

 

“So I see,” grinned Zack, trying to catch the cadet’s eye. “You seemed to have a bit of trouble with the Wutainese words. Care for some help? I was over there long enough to pick up some of the language.” Mostly the curses during a fight, but he wouldn’t teach the kid that unless they had known each other for at least a week.

 

Instead of jumping at the chance, the cadet bit his lip as he ducked his head. “It’s all right, sir. You don’t need to trouble yourself. I’ll be fine.”

 

His attitude reminded Zack of a dog he’d known back in Gongaga. Thing had been hit and kicked so much that it flinched whenever anyone walked past, expecting another hurt. The Fates had woven this kid a raw deal. Nodding once, he studied the cadet with a serious eye. Bit on the scrawny side and short, but the muscles were wiry from hard work under that uniform. Plus, Raiden liked him, and Raiden didn’t like anyone outside of Seph and Zack himself. That was the deciding factor.

 

“It’s no trouble at all, Cadet,” replied Zack, opening the stall door long enough to slip inside. “Besides, I remember that book. Just enough Wutainese tossed in to trip you up and frustrate you.” He walked over and sat next to Raiden, picking up the one book that had been knocked over. He was a bit surprised to notice that it was a dictionary instead of the history book, and a few things about this cadet started poking at his brain.

 

The cadet turned and scooped up his history book, marking his page with a piece of straw before closing it. “Thank you, sir, but I’ll be fine. No sense in wasting your time on a cadet.”

 

“Are you in the SOLDIER program?” Zack inquired. That was where most cadets started before being weeded out into other branches, so he wasn’t surprised at the sharp nod. Instead, he grinned and patted the straw next to him. "Then you're eligible for the Mentor Program, and as a First Class, I'm allowed to take one. In fact, for some odd reason they've been pushing me to get one."

 

“Me, sir?” There was a touch of hope in those blue eyes now, and Zack could hear the faintest trace of longing in his voice. He grinned with a nod, and the cadet smiled a bit more hesitantly before resuming his spot on the straw, book once more in his lap.

 

Zack stuck out his hand. “I’m Zack Fair.”

 

“Cloud Strife,” replied the cadet, taking his hand with a bit less hesitancy. Zack’s grin grew even bigger before they both turned their attention to the history book. Given half a chance, he could really get to like this kid. Maybe he should introduce Cloud to Seph.

 


	17. I Want to Keep Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frank sexual talk with underage teen. Also, Sephiroth refers to Cloud as a 'child' here. That's more from habit of referring to everyone smaller than him by a foot as a child, not that he sees Cloud as a kid.

Sephiroth eyed the small cadet that Zack had dragged up to his room and raised a brow in question. Zack grinned and clapped the boy on the shoulder, nearly sending the child to the floor with the force of the hit. “Seph, meet Cloud Strife. Spike, I’m sure you already know the General.”

 

The young boy snapped a perfect salute even as his eyes were focused on a spot off to Sephiroth’s left. “Sir.”

 

The young voice with no hint of deepening made Sephiroth wonder about the child’s true age.

 

“At ease, Cadet,” he said, a soft purr in his voice, and he watched as a faint shiver slipped through the child. Interesting, very interesting. “Has Commander Fair told you why he brought you here?” Zack smirked and sprawled in one of the leather chairs as Sephiroth sat in the high backed chair he preferred. He rested his elbows on the arms as he steepled his fingers before his face and fixed the child with a calm gaze.

 

Strife fell into parade rest, hands loosely clasped behind his back and feet shoulder width apart with his chin up and back straight. “He mentioned some specialized training, sir.”

 

Sephiroth glanced at Zack who smirked back and nodded. Zack knew all his secrets, all his desires, and when the First Class figured out that he needed someone more submissive in the bedroom, he started looking. For Sephiroth’s privacy and peace of mind. No one would wonder if the General’s SiC asked certain questions or flirted with people because that was just how Zack was. “I have a few questions for you before we start talking about the nature of this training, Cadet, and I expect you to answer them honestly.”

 

“Yes sir,” agreed the boy, his face remaining expressionless but his eyes were wary.

 

“How old are you?” That got a startled if guilty look from the boy before he looked at the carpet, biting his lower lip. Sephiroth just waited, staring at the boy before there was a broken sigh and a whispered “Thirteen.”

 

“The standard enlistment age for the military is sixteen. How did you pass the tests to get in?” inquired Sephiroth, more curious than angry.

 

That got a small smile from the boy. “I just did,” he remarked, a faint note of pride in his voice. A strangled noise from Zack caught Sephiroth’s attention, and he glanced over to find a stunned look on his SiC’s face. Apparently, Zack had thought that Strife had been the minimal age of sixteen, and Sephiroth felt a satisfactory smile curl his lips. Able to pass the entrance physicals _and_ fool Zack into believing he was older than he was. This one had great potential. As the stunned look turned into a frustrated frown, Sephiroth knew that Zack would hunt down Strife’s jacket to find out more about him.

 

“You understand that anything discussed in here will not be discussed outside these walls, correct?” It was less of a request and more of an order, but Sephiroth knew these rooms were clean of surveillance equipment since either he or Zack swept them whenever they left for more than a few minutes. When Strife nodded with a soft “Yes sir”, Sephiroth relaxed back in his chair. “I will be frank. The training that Zack was talking about was sexual training for a specific sort of partner for me.”

 

There was a faint blush on the boy’s cheeks but a definite hint of curiosity in his eyes that allowed Sephiroth to continue. “What I require is a submissive pet that will allow me to have control over them whenever we are together in any situation, be it sexual, social, or casual. This situation is often referred to as BDSM, or bondage, dominance, submission, and sadomasochism. I am not into giving or receiving severe pain, but I will punish my pet when my instructions are not obeyed.”

 

The blush was darker on Strife’s face, and a brittle hope had replaced the curiosity. He opened his mouth to say something before closing his lips again, realizing he hadn’t asked permission to speak. Sephiroth smiled, slightly. “You have a question?”

 

“Does this mean I would belong to you, sir?” That hope was visible in his voice, but it was guarded as if the boy didn’t want others to know. “And why me, sir?”

 

“Yes you would belong to me first and Shinra as a last option,” Sephiroth replied before raising a curious brow. “Why not you? You’re intelligent and capable of passing the exams that were created specifically for sixteen year olds when you are three years younger. Zack knows of my needs and has been trying to find a candidate specifically for me without raising any questions by those who control the rest of my life.”

 

Sephiroth shifted slightly in his chair, trying to get a bit more comfortable as this conversation caused his body to react. “If you agree to enter into this relationship with me, you will be selected as my mentoring cadet and will be moved into my quarters to prevent anyone from harming you out of jealousy or spite. However, as you are only thirteen, any sexual training will wait until you have reached the age of majority which is sixteen.” He could see the question in Strife’s eyes and held up a hand to stall it. “This is not to force you to decide. Even if you do not wish to undergo training as my pet, then Zack will continue to mentor you and I will assist whenever possible with no more mention of this conversation.”

 

Strife frowned and started pacing a few feet away as he gestured slightly with one hand, apparently trying to make up his mind by weighing the pros and cons if the flopping of that small hand was any indication. Sephiroth had watched Zack reenact this same ritual with his own indecisions, but he was never as quiet as Strife was, preferring to talk out his problems.

 

The boy stopped pacing and suddenly spun to face Sephiroth. “All right. When will we start, sir?”

 

Zack stood up with an easy grin. “That’s my cue to leave. I’ll deliver your foot locker and your new schedule tomorrow, Spike.”

 

With a wave, he left them alone, and Sephiroth rose to his feet as he motioned the boy to follow him. He walked into the bedroom, the soft sounds of the boy’s footfalls behind him, and Sephiroth opened the middle drawer of his dresser. There was a soft gasp behind him at the sight of the neatly arranged toys that Sephiroth preferred to use on another. In the middle was a small pillow with a collar curled on it. That had been the most tricky of his purchases to make since Sephiroth himself had designed it for his future pet. The other toys were passed off as Zack being kinky or teasing Sephiroth with them in an attempt to get a blush from the general.

 

“This is the toy box,” Sephiroth explained, turning slightly to look at Strife’s large eyes. “At some point, everything here will be used on you. I am willing to give you a two week trial as my pet. If it too much for you, then I will turn you over to Zack as stated before.”

 

Instead of the relief he had been expecting on that young face, Sephiroth watched as those blue eyes hardened in determination as that chin was raised slightly in defiance. “It won’t be too much for me, sir.”

  
Chuckling, Sephiroth reached out and ran his hand over the soft blond spikes. “In that case, I had better mark you as mine before someone else tries to steal you away,” he purred, his hand dropping to collect the leather and mithril collar. He knelt and fastened the collar around the boy’s neck, tightening it just enough so it wouldn’t slide and chafe. Something seemed to click in his chest at the sight of the young blond wearing his mark, and he smirked as he ran a hand through that wildly spiking hair again. “Good pet.”


	18. Opening Doors

With a frown of concentration, Cloud slowly copied the lines that the General had written out in a neat and precise hand. Sephiroth had been startled at how poor Cloud’s handwriting had been, and had created several writing journals for him to improve his penmanship. At the top of each page was a printed sentence, and Cloud was to copy the sentence, trying to get his letters to look more like Sephiroth’s. It was difficult, trying to imitate the graceful sweeps that the General had made when creating the letters, but he was going to keep trying until he could.

 

His gaze flickered to the stack of books piled on the table nearby, and he bit his lip, nervously. He had chapters he had to read out of them, but it would take him longer to read those books than it did for him to copy the sentences. No one knew he could barely read, not even Zack who thought he just had trouble with bigger words. He _knew_ Sephiroth didn’t know, and he was going to do everything he could to keep it that way. He really didn’t want to disappoint the man who was becoming to be the most important person in his life.

 

Shaking his head in an attempt to dismiss that train of thought, he turned his attention back to his writing lessons. He couldn’t afford to dwell on it, because he was getting better at reading. Unfortunately, Cloud knew that if he didn’t improve, he would be lucky to make corporal if he wasn’t thrown out of the military altogether. He could also watch as his chances at SOLDIER vanished like dew in the summer sun. He only had to learn how to read and write better and then he’d be fine.

 

Nothing could stop him once his reading improved.

 

 


	19. Experimentation

“Are you sure?” inquired Sephiroth, watching his SiC pace in front of his desk. It normally took a great deal to get Zack riled up in such a manner, but since he was upset on Cloud’s behalf, Sephiroth supposed it was understandable.

 

Zack nodded, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah. I’m certain, but what I can’t figure out is why?”

 

Sitting back in his chair with a frown, Sephiroth wondered how such a thing was possible. How could anyone be unable to read? It didn’t make any sense. One of the improvements Shinra had actually managed to implement was making basic learning more accessible to everyone, so those who wanted to enlist or work for Shinra would be able to. “Is there anything in his jacket to explain?”

 

That got a shake of Zack’s head. “Just that he’s from Nibelheim, and that he seems to have a bit of difficulty with the reading lessons. Other than that, he’s extremely intelligent, brave, and stubborn enough for a flock of chocobos.” He sighed again. “And we can’t just confront him about it ‘cause he refuses to talk about Nibelheim or his family. The one time I asked him about where he came from, he changed the subject. Whatever happened must have been bad if he ran away to join us.”

 

“Then we will have to arrange a way to confront him about his literacy,” murmured Sephiroth, his eyes dropping to his desk to skip over the various files. A shame he didn’t have a headache. Then he could ask his pet to read one of the files he needed to read....

 

His eyes lit up as a smirk stretched across his face. He might not have a headache, but Cloud didn’t know that. Standing up, he scooped a few of the files off his desk. They weren’t important, just requisitions for various equipment. He grabbed Masamune from where she was resting next to his desk and started towards his door. “If anyone asks, I left with a headache.”

 

“Yes, sir,” agreed Zack with a bright grin, and Sephiroth tossed him a tight smile before leaving the office. His schedule was clear tomorrow, so he could spend all day with his pet after figuring out why he couldn’t read. If it was a mental problem, then they would work together to overcome it. If it was sheer negligence on a third party's part, then Sephiroth would correct that problem as well. With extreme prejudice.

 

Trudging back to his quarters, he kept his head lowered and people kept out of his way. Most knew his posture indicated a bad headache which would shorten his temper even more. A lesson learned the hard way in the early days when someone had bugged him about something trivial when he _had_ been suffering a horrible migraine only to discover that Sephiroth was quite capable of casting Fire no matter how badly his head ached. When he reached his quarters, he forced the small smile from his face before pushing the door open.

 

Peering through his hair, Sephiroth watched as Cloud jumped up from the table and hurried over to him, leaving his books scattered across the surface. Blue eyes quickly ran over him as he wearily shut the door behind him. Small hands touched him as he was escorted over to the couch once his blade was placed on her stand. He allowed Cloud to strip off his outer clothing before he stretched out on the couch with a relieved sigh, the folders absently held against his chest. He heard Cloud moving away as he rested an arm across his eyes, and then his pet was back, moving Sephiroth’s arm to place a cool damp washcloth across his eyes.

 

“Thank you,” he sighed in faked relief again as he relaxed on the couch. “I hate to impose when you’re working on your assignments, but could you read these to me? I have a meeting tomorrow.” He held out the files and carefully shifted the cloth covering his eyes so he could peek at his pet. Cloud's hands were trembling slightly as he reached out to take the files, his eyes showing wariness and fear. Opening the folder, Cloud focused on the faintly rustling pages and started reading in a slow, hesitant manner.

 

He watched as Cloud tripped over words that anyone with a standard education would have ignored with ease, the fear growing with each fumbled word as his trembling grew more visible. Slowly, Sephiroth sat up, turning to face Cloud as he removed the unneeded cloth from his face. "You have trouble reading, don't you?"

 

There was a faint sound from Cloud as the folders fell from nerveless fingers. He looked at Sephiroth, eyes wide with terror. “Don’t send me away, I’ll be good. I swear I’ll learn!”

 

He knelt on the floor, crawling over to kneel between Sephiroth’s legs. “I can be good at other things too!”

 

Sephiroth placed a gentle hand on Cloud’s head. “I am not going to send you away.”

 

Those blue eyes stared at him, fragile hope almost hidden behind terror. Sephiroth felt like slowly dismembering the ones that had treated his boy so horribly that he was utterly terrified of being sent away for something so small. “I’m going to help you learn to read better.”

 

“Will it be hard?” asked Cloud, the terror starting to fade as the hope grew.

 

“It depends on the reason behind your difficulties,” Sephiroth explained, urging his pet up to sit next to him on the couch. “Is it difficult for you understand the letters, or were you just never taught to begin with?

 

Instead of immediately replying, Cloud dropped his gaze to stare at his lap. “I'm a _Strife_ , sir. Why should I be taught anything?”

 

Sephiroth frowned in confusion. “What does your name have to do with your education?”

 

That got a startled look from Cloud. “You don’t know?” he asked as if unable to understand Sephiroth’s confusion. “Strife is the name given to an unmarried woman who's pregnant and the father won't claim responsibility.”

 

He sighed when it was obvious that Sephiroth’s confusion wasn’t lessening any. “I don’t know who my father is. Because no one was willing to claim me, my mom and I were outcasts. I wasn't allowed to go to school, because it would be a disruption to the learning process of honest citizens.”

 

To Sephiroth’s ears that the last part of that explanation was a direct quote. He curled an arm around his pet and held him close as he rose to his feet. He lead Cloud over to the table and the books waiting there. "Then I shall do what they refused to and assist you on improving your reading."

 

“But your meeting...” protested Cloud even as he resumed his seat at the table.

 

Bending down, Sephiroth pressed a kiss to his head. "Can be cancelled. Nothing is more important than you."


	20. Unusual Feelings

Stretched out on his bed, Sephiroth frowned at the ceiling as he tried to organize his thoughts. Something had changed in his life, but he was not quite sure what it was. The one thing he was certain about was that it had something to do with the blond trooper that was curled against his side, radiating trust even when asleep. He was not dissatisfied with Cloud. In fact, he was more than content with how his relationship with his pet was progressing especially now that Cloud was sixteen. He had tried to discuss the strange feelings with Zack, but his SiC had simply grinned.

 

 _Congrats, Boss. You’re in love,_ Zack had drawled, lightly punching Sephiroth’s arm before walking off, whistling a cheerful tune and leaving Sephiroth even more confused than before. What did an unnecessary emotional attachment have to do with his confusion regarding his relationship with Cloud?

 

The blond shifted as if in response to his inner turmoil and whimpered softly. Sephiroth watched the young face twist in pain even as he reached out a reached out a hand, healing the abused muscles. He should have taken care of that earlier, to prevent the discomfort the extensive session had caused. There was a soft sigh of relief from Cloud as the young teen relaxed against Sephiroth’s side, a slender arm snaking across Sephiroth’s chest as if to prevent the silver haired man from escaping the bed. Satisfied that his pet was comfortable again, Sephiroth returned his attention to his muddled thoughts.

 

Sephiroth let his attention return to his previous thought. Zack couldn't be right. Could he?

 


	21. Making Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Present day

Zack smirked and wagged a finger at Sephiroth who had left the pool with Cloud to join the others on the floor.

 

“Told ya you were falling in love, but you didn’t wanna believe me,” teased the dark haired man, throwing his other arm around Aeris’ shoulders. He grunted as Aeris drove a sharp elbow into his ribs, but Cloud looked completely content to remain where he was, wrapped up in Sephiroth’s arms while sitting between his legs. Frankly, Yuffie had never seen Cloud look so comfortable in his own skin before, but she supposed that was because he had been missing his Master even if he didn’t know he was.

 

“So now what?” inquired Reeve, glancing at the two couples. “What are you planning to do now that you’re back.”

 

Cloud shrugged. “We’ll think of something. Could always try the delivery service again.”

 

“No.” Sephiroth’s voice was firm as Cloud twisted slightly to look up at him. “I don’t enjoy the thought of you leaving for long periods of time.”

 

“There’s always the mercenary route,” mused Zack with a careless wave of a hand and a bright grin. “That was the idea when we escaped Nibelheim, and people are always willing to pay someone else to make their problems go away.”

 

Aeris was strangely quiet, her eyes distant as if she was listening to voices that only she could hear. It reminded Yuffie of when Cloud was talking to these guys in the Lifestream, and she wondered what Aeris was listening to. A faint blush stained Aeris’ cheeks as Yuffie watched, and now Yuffie _really_ wanted to know what Aeris was hearing because she’d never known Aeris to blush the entire time they were traveling together.

 

“Babe? Something you want to share with the rest of us?” Zack drawled, glancing down at the girl in his arms.

 

“Apparently, Gaia decided to bring the Cetra back,” Aeris announced, her hands folded in her lap.

 

Yuffie blinked at that information, trying to figure out why Aeris was blushing at that when something clicked in her mind. “You’re pregnant???”

 

There was a thud as Zack hit the floor, unconscious, and everyone stared at him in surprise. Yuffie didn’t think that a SOLDIER could faint but apparently they could. A soft snicker slipped out of Cloud as he covered his mouth with his hand, but soon a second started. This one from Aeris. A few seconds later, all of them were howling with laughter at the image of SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair passed out on the ground.

 

Finally the laughter died down, and Aeris wiped the tears from her eyes. “No, I’m not pregnant. Yet.”

 

“Then what had you blushing?” demanded Yuffie, wrapping her arms around her legs to keep from bouncing all over the place in excitement. She had been trying to get better at her hyperactivity since she had taken a few lessons at the Golden Lotus in preparation for gaining her own Companion some day.

 

“Apparently when Kadaj called me ‘Mother’, it gave Gaia an idea how to bring back her Cetra,” explained Aeris, turning to look at the door with a cheerful grin. “And the best thing is, the paths were already laid out! All She had to do was tweak a few things here and there.”

 

Yuffie looked over as the door was hesitantly pushed open to admit a broad shouldered man with red hair and glowing, violet eyes of a First Class. He hesitantly approached the group before saluting Sephiroth. “Sir? Were you called too?”

 

“Called?” asked Sephiroth, a faint frown of confusion appearing on his face before he glanced at Aeris, who shrugged.

 

“Gaia’s calling her Children,” explained Aeris with a small smile. “Jenova infected a Cetra body, after all.”


	22. Butting Heads

Reno shook his head, unable to believe Rufus was being so stubborn about this. Why couldn’t the blond just let go of the idea that Cloud Strife was going to come crawling to him, begging forgiveness and swearing to do whatever Rufus wanted? He watched from where he was holding up the wall as Rufus took his time getting dressed, making sure everything was perfect before moving on to the next item of clothing.

 

“I can hear your teeth grinding from over here, Reno,” drawled Rufus, his eyes flickering to meet Reno's stare in the mirror before he returned his attention to his clothes. The amused smile never left Rufus’ face as he reached up to brush his hair until it gleamed. “I would have thought that your time on desk duty would have cured you of your attitude.”

 

“Permission to speak freely, sir?” asked Reno, his voice holding none of the anger that he had for the young president.

 

If anything that amused smile grew a bit. “Granted.”

 

“Congratulation. You’re as bad as your old man.”

 

 _That_ got a hard from Rufus. “Explain yourself. Now!”

 

Reno shrugged. “Got your very own Lillian St. Jean. Congrats.”

 

“And she is?” drawled Rufus, confusion evident on his face. Reno knew that Rufus never cared about his father’s many mistresses, and stopped keeping track of them after the second one. Especially when it was evident that his father was still collecting them.

 

Reno only smirked. “Do your own research for once. Sir.”

 

The hard glare returned but Reno had turned his attention to the window to stare outside as he let his thoughts drift. He hoped that cute secretary, Megan, from WRO would keep him advised of anything going on with Blond and Broody. Megan had been one of the nicer secretaries at Shinra back in the day, and she had been one of the best sources of gossip around the Tower. A ‘chance’ meeting at a bar, a few drinks, and she was more than happy to fill him in on the latest gossip at WRO. Some of it was just who was seeing who and who didn’t have a chance with who, but other parts were more interesting, such as whatever the members of AVALANCHE were up to. Occasionally, he’d pass the important details on to Tseng, but most of the time, he just enjoyed listening to what they were getting up to. It always amazed him that this rag tag group managed to save the world, yet something as small as Cloud’s sexual preference could drive them apart.

 

Well, drive Lockheart and Wallace away. He shook his head, slightly. He still couldn’t believe that someone like Lockheart, who worked and owned a bar, or Wallace, who had come from North Corell of all places, could let something as simple as someone’s sexuality bother them to the point of ordering a friend to go away and never come back.

 

There was a soft, surprised sound, and Reno focused on Rufus, who had a strange look on his face. “Boss?”

  
“Have Rude bring the car around. I have an appointment to keep,” Rufus ordered, smoothing his hair back and starting for the door as Reno dug out his PHS. Rufus paused at the door and glanced back over his shoulder at Reno. “And have Tseng bring any files on Lillian St. Jean that he possesses.”


	23. Hard Truths

“Where do you think you’re going?”

 

Tifa’s voice stopped Denzel in his tracks, more out of habit than anything else. He looked back at her with a smirk as he adjusted the bulging pack slung over his shoulder. “I’m being called.”

 

Ever since Tifa had chased Cloud away, Denzel had been biding his time until he could follow the blond warrior, and during that time, he had to wonder why Tifa had even bothered to take him in since she was hardly there for him. Sure, she gave him shelter and food, but it had been Cloud who was willing to help him with his homework instead of just telling him to do it. It was Cloud who had taught Denzel to defend himself against bullies, and it was Cloud who had comforted him when nightmares of Kadaj and the ‘Stigma haunted him at night.

 

“You can’t go. I won’t let you,” protested Tifa, her face twisted in anger. Snorting, Denzel turned back to the door and opened it. “You walk out that door, young man, and you’re grounded!”

 

“For that to be an effective threat, I’d have to respect you. You lost that right when you chased Cloud away,” Denzel said. “Why’d you do that anyway? He was a better parent that you are. Was that why? Was it because he was in a loving relationship with a guy? Or because he wasn’t panting after you?”

 

He smirked as he walked out on her incoherent shrieks of rage before sprinting down the street. There were a lot of people heading in the same direction, and Denzel knew they heard the silent call as well. They were being summoned for something big. Men with SOLDIER eyes walked down the street with ordinary people and children laughed as they skipped along. He grinned and waved at Tanya who held her stuffed moogle in one hand. This time, he had no doubts about following her to their destination. Just like he had no doubts about walking out of _Seventh Heaven_ with all his possessions in his pack.

 

About an hour later, Denzel wasn’t surprised to find himself heading towards the ruined church, and some of the children he recognized as those who had trusted Kadaj for a cure. There were too many to comfortably sit inside so some of the men and children were moving around to the side where Denzel knew the wall was partially destroyed, but he wiggled his way in through the women and children, looking around for one specific person.

 

If there were _this_ many SOLDIERs and ‘Stigma survivors, then Cloud _had_ to be here.

 


	24. Town Meeting

Watching from the rafters of the church, Yuffie snickered as she spotted a familiar head of brown hair making his way through the crowd. “Tifa’s gonna be pissed.”

 

On the next rafter over, Vincent simply shook his head as Denzel threw himself at Cloud with an enthusiastic yell. “That is part of parenthood from my understanding. Accepting your children’s decisions as long as they are not endangering themselves.”

 

“Cloud’s been more of a parent to him than Tifa has,” remarked Reeve from where he was sitting on a cross brace with Cait Sith’s computer in his lap. The little robot was circulating through the crowd below to keep an eye out for trouble. “Tifa might be good with Marlene, but she barely acknowledges Denzel at times. I bet that if you ask her what his last test score was, she would give you a confused look.”

 

Huffing, Yuffie folded her arms and plopped down on the rafter, unafraid that her actions would send her tumbling to the floor below. “Godo might not have understood me all the time, but he at least tried to be there for me.”

 

She eyed the people gathered below with a faint frown. If they decided to stay together, then they would need a place to live where they wouldn’t be bothered all the time. Yes some of them were the ones who had helped grind her country into the dirt, but they weren’t the ones to blame. They'd only been following orders, after all, and some of them hadn't even wanted to be there.

 

“That woman needs to calm down and have a few kids of her own,” drawled Cid around the cigarette in his mouth. He chuckled. “Trouble comin’.”

 

Yuffie followed Cid’s eyes to find Tseng slowly entering the church and felt like cackling. Tseng arriving meant Rufus had to be close behind. She smirked at the others.  “Wanna show Rufus just how well he drove us away from Cloud?”

 

That got a laugh from Cid and a smirk from Vincent before they jumped down to the floor with Cait joining them. Yuffie figured she was going to enjoy this way too much but she was entitled to. After all, the bastard had tried to hurt her friend.

 


	25. Reality Check

Cloud could only shake his head as Denzel explained how he left Tifa and  _Seventh Heaven_ behind, and how he, Marlene and Mrs. Gainsborough had distracted both Tifa and Barret whenever necessary. Apparently Aeris had talked her mother into helping the children keep tabs on him. He couldn’t protest because he knew that they meant well and only wanted to help him until his own actions forced Sephiroth to arrive early.

 

He noticed a shifting in the crowd but didn’t give it too much attention as some people were still arriving. It wasn’t until footsteps stopped behind him, and Denzel glared at the person there that Cloud decided to turn around. Somehow he was unsurprised to find Rufus standing there with a triumphant smirk on his face.

 

“Really, Cloud, if you wanted to get my attention, there are easier ways than this elaborate setup,” purred Rufus, reaching out to brush his fingers down Cloud’s face. “Of course I’ll take you as my lover.”

 

Leather clad fingers wrapped around Rufus’ wrist, preventing him from touching Cloud’s face, and Cloud snorted. “I didn’t say you could touch me. Besides, what makes you think I called you here?”

 

“I heard you calling me.” That smirk increased a touch. “Although I'm not sure why you want such an audience."

 

Cloud let an amused smile curl his lips as he dropped Rufus’ wrist. “Why would I call you in the first place? I told you that I wasn’t interested in your offer to be your pet toy.”

 

“Because your so-called friends deserted you after finding out about your past relationship.” Rufus shook his head, a look of sympathy replacing the smirk. “I truly had no idea they would act in such a manner.”

 

“You have friends other than us, Cloud? And you haven’t introduced us yet?” sniffed Yuffie from behind Rufus, smirking as the blond whirled around.

 

Cid smirked and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to beat the information out of him later.”

 

That got a naughty leer tossed at Cloud from Yuffie. “I dunno. He might enjoy that.”

 

Snickering, Cloud rolled his eyes. “Brat.”

 

“Yep, but you love me anyway!” exclaimed Yuffie, throwing herself at Cloud and forcing Rufus to step aside or be run over by the ninja.

 

Cloud chuckled and scooped her up to set her on his shoulder where she easily perched. There were a few startled murmurs around them as the Princess of Wutai and fellow Savior of the Planet was recognized. Yuffie just grinned as she sat there, and Cloud returned his attention to Rufus who was looking stunned at this revelation. A part of Cloud wondered how Rufus would react to the appearance of Zack and Sephiroth, if he was this surprised by his friends staying by him.

 

As if summoned by his thoughts, Zack appeared in the crowd with his easy going smile on his face and Sephiroth at his side. “Should we be jealous?” teased Zack.

 

“Only ‘cause Cloud makes a prettier girl than you do,” taunted Yuffie, sticking her tongue out at Zack. Cloud groaned softly as an embarrassed look crossed his face.

 

Aeris laughed as she also emerged from the crowd. “Yuffie, he makes a prettier girl than _I_ do!”

 

Zack folded his arms. "I don't believe you." He had a rather intrigued look despite himself. "Prove it!"

 

Cloud groaned louder as Aeris grinned, just knowing that she was imagining him in that horrible dress again. The only joy he got from this debacle was the deathly white shade of Rufus' face as he looked at them. This teasing was more than worth that look on the asshole's face.

 


	26. Dressing Down

Reeve could admit that there was a thrill to watching Rufus turn pale enough to match his coat, especially after what the bastard had put Cloud through. From the disgusted look on Reno’s face as he lounged near the door, the Turk wasn’t happy with his boss either, and Reeve wondered if Reno would still be in Rufus’ employ after this. A rustle of leather, and Reeve turned his attention back to Rufus just as the man turned ashen at the sight of Sephiroth standing there, a proprietary hand on Cloud’s empty shoulder.

 

“I am rather curious to know what gave you the right to assume my Cloud was available for you,” mused the Silver General, angry mutterings from the SOLDIERs gathered sounding in response. At the glares that were being turned on the younger blond, Reeve was very glad that he was on Cloud’s side. He hadn't been exaggerating when he told Cloud SOLDIERs were known for closing ranks to outsiders. Since Sephiroth was standing there unmolested next to the Saviors of the World, it meant he was part of that group again.

 

Rufus staggered backwards, pointing a finger at Sephiroth. “You! Someone kill him before he kills us all!”

 

There was a snort from Cid that came out on a cloud of smoke, making him look like a dragon. "He's not the one that's going on a rampage, now is he you idjit?"

 

“Besides, there are people here to stop him if he did,” countered Aeris, stalking forward and poking a finger in Rufus’ chest, her face furious. “But as for you, mister, you’re in big trouble!”

 

Rufus backed up away from Aeris who followed him, still poking that very pointy finger in his chest, and he jumped as he backed into Vincent and Zack, their faces hard as they stared at him. Around them both, the SOLDIERs were closing in to form a circle around Rufus and Aeris. Reeve looked around, surprised to see Cloud's friends were included with the inner circle of people. It made him feel better to know the SOLDIERs were accepting them.

 

“You had _no right_ to tell anyone about Cloud’s relationship,” she growled, her eyes flashing in anger. “Especially when you were trying to drive his friends away from him. It’s a good thing Cloud’s _real_ friends have the loyalty to stand by him no matter what. Cloud told you no when you approached him about a relationship, but you couldn't take the fact that someone told you that, Shinra. So instead, you attempted to turn everyone against him, make him lonely and miserable enough to come crawling back to you where you'd _graciously_ take him in through the goodness of your heart."

 

Reeve almost felt a spark of sympathy for Rufus but the memory of Cloud falling from the ruined Tower kept it from growing. If it hadn't been for Sephiroth coming back at just the right time, Cloud would have died and there would have been nothing any of them would have been able to do. He blinked as a green glow surrounded Aeris. That was new.

 

“Rufus Shinra, there is no place for such greed among my children,” Aeris announced, her voice reverberating with power and age and Reeve shivered. This wasn’t Aeris Gainsborough, the flower girl from the Slums or even Aeris Gast, the daughter of the Last Cetra. This was Gaia, speaking through Her daughter, passing judgement on one of Her children. “Until you can learn, you are not welcome among their number.” She waved a hand and the men parted, forming a corridor to the open doors where Reno stood. Rufus staggered out of the ruined church, shoulders hunched and looking like a broken man, but Reeve wasn’t so quick to trust Rufus. The man was a master manipulator after all.

 

Then Aeris looked at Tseng, her eyes glowing with the Lifestream. “Son of Wutai, never forget while honor is admirable, what is it worth when the one you serve has none?”

 

For a second, Reeve thought Tseng was going to protest, but instead he bowed to her before turning on his heel to follow Rufus. The green light faded from Aeris, and she shook her head before looking around at everyone. “Um, maybe we should start from the beginning?”

 

Zack nodded. “Right. Everyone get comfortable as this is gonna be a long story.”

 


	27. Scratching Backs

Yuffie found herself absolutely stunned at the information that was aired over the next few hours. Cloud had told her that those in SOLDIER had never wanted to go to war with Wutai but she had never fully believed it. Mainly because it was easier to hate people who had willingly shoved her country into a severe depression they were still recovering from than it was pawns of Shinra greed. Now, though, she was forced to admit they were as much victims as her people.

 

And unlike her people, the SOLDIERs still hadn't managed to get out of the hole Shinra threw them into. Many were still ostracized because of their past connection with Shinra, and because of their association with Shinra and several would have still been unemployed if it weren't for Reeve. Only, Reeve couldn’t afford to keep so many people on his staff after his upcoming projects were done, and unlike Shinra, Reeve didn’t need an entire army at his command. And bounties on monsters only went so far. If only there was some solution to help them.

 

“It’s a shame that mercenary idea didn’t work out so well,” mused Zack, tossing a teasing grin at Cloud. “You were doing pretty good until Jenova poked her head up.”

 

There was a snort from Cloud. “Yeah, but even if everyone here went the merc route, who could afford to hire us? And we’d need a base of operations as well.” He shook his head. “I don’t know of anyone who wants a band of mercenaries in their backyard.”

 

A thought popped into Yuffie's head as she looked at the people gathered here. Most were single men, but some brought families along and there were a few orphaned children. "What if the mercenaries were helping their neighbors out by paying a tithe to keep the land they were staying on? That would help not only the local economy but help generate better feelings towards the group.”

 

Cloud looked at her, hope daring to appear in his eyes as he began to realize what she was hinting at. "Yes, but where would we set up camp? No matter where we go, people distrust us just because we're SOLDIER."

 

Yuffie grinned cheerfully at him. "Not if the Lady of Wutai says you're welcome in her lands."

 

“But won’t that get you in trouble with your people? I mean, we’re not exactly welcome in Wutai after the war,” Zack remarked, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“Ah, but if you arrive to surrender yourselves and allow yourself to be banished to the northern part of Wutai away from the rest of my people, that would help a few feelings” she stated. "There's no major cities up there but it's more than fertile enough to grow food, and I'm sure Captain Highwind wouldn't object to transporting the necessary supplies and people to the encampment." She saw more than one head starting to nod at her idea and felt like bouncing. If this worked, it would help out a lot of people. The SOLDIERs because they needed some place stable to live with a steady source of income, her people because having a tithing from the SOLDIERs would help bolster the Wutai economy plus anything they bought locally, and Cid because he got bored on the few trips he made for Reeve.

 

“All right. Say this is what everyone agrees on,” said Cloud, reaching up to scrub a hand through his hair. “Who would be in charge of the group? I could barely keep my own business afloat.”

 

One of the men stepped forward, a small smile on his face. “I say we take a vote. All in favor of General Sephiroth?”

  
The shout of “Aye!” was nearly deafening, and the man grinned at Sephiroth as he snapped to attention. “Awaiting your orders, Sir."


	28. Apple From the Tree

Rufus sat behind his desk at Healin, staring out the window as the open file lay abandoned on the desk. It was the file on Lillian St. Jean that he had requested. Now he wished he'd never heard of her, Cloud Strife, or AVALANCHE. Tseng had been silent during the ride home, but Reno was smug, an "I told you so!" barely repressed.

His eyes drifted back to the folder as he reread what was there about Miss St. Jean. She had been a beautiful, famous actress who had the misfortune of catching the eye of the late President Shinra when he had been between mistresses. Shinra had approached her, determined to make her his next mistress because a stunning beauty like her would only enhance his public image. Instead, she had turned him down, citing that she was quite happy with her fiancé and her career, two things she wouldn’t have as Shinra’s mistress. She had been the first, and the last, to refuse Shinra.

To appease his ego, Shinra had started a whisper campaign against her, taking what his Turks could find in her background and twisting them just enough to make the most innocent action seem perverted. Slowly, her friends abandoned her, her career dried up when producers stopped calling her, and even her fiancé left her, unable to deal with the pressure of being associated with her. Finally, when there was nothing left for her, she dressed in her finest gown, slipped into the theater where she had begun her career, and laid down on the dais that was used for the third act. One quick and painless poison later and Lillian St Jean was no more. President Shinra had come to the production with the idea of presenting his offer to her again now that she had nothing left. He hadn’t expected her body to rise up on stage among hundreds of witnesses, resembling the princess she had often portrayed.

Rufus flipped the folder closed and burying his hands in his hair. He had done the same thing to Cloud, revealing his relationship with Sephiroth in the worst possible way to make his friends turn against him, hoping to isolate Cloud enough that he could claim him. But, Cloud hadn’t killed himself, and he had only lost Barrett and Tifa as friends. He had lost his business, but Cloud really wasn’t delivery boy material. Anyone with half a brain could see that.

There was a lazy knock on the door, and Rufus sat up, straightening his clothes as he appeared to look busy. “Enter.”

Reno entered with a video cassette in his hand and a smirk on his lips. “Got something you should see, Boss.”

Rufus sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “Why should I be interested in your tawdry videos, Reno?”

“Because this one ain’t mine,” Reno replied, slipping it into the machine before turning on the TV. “Found it lying on a desk and thought you’d be interested.”

The screen flickered to life, and Rufus’ breath caught in his throat as he found himself staring at Cloud, dressed in the worn First Class uniform he had been wearing at the church. There was a tired slump to his shoulders, but his eyes glowed with determination as if whatever he was going to do, no one could talk him out of it. Cloud straightened and looked right at the camera. “If you’re listening to this, then I’m back with the most important people in my life....”


	29. Let's Play a Game

Elmyra hummed softly to herself as she packed her possessions in preparation for the trip to come. It had taken her a while to forgive both Zack Fair and Cloud Strife for taking her baby away from her and ultimately getting her killed. It had been many dream conversations and just getting to know the young men in question before she could honestly forgive them in her heart. Having Aeris pout at her until she had been willing to listen to Zack had probably helped a bit .

 

Marlene skipped into the room, her arms full of linens that she carefully packed in a box before bouncing out for the next load. It use to hurt to see the young girl so full of life with her hair done up like Aeris’, but she was over that now. Of course, having her daughter back was a big help with that. And now everyone was moving to Wutai. Elmyra had been warned that things would be rough at the start, but she was use to hardship. As long as her little girl was happy, then Elmyra would endure.

 

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a polite knock on the door, and she walked over to let Barrett in. This would certainly be an interesting visit. “Good afternoon, Mr. Wallace. Please come in,” she invited, opening the door for him. “Please excuse the mess.” She turned back to her packing, ignoring the wide eyed look from Barrett. “Marlene, your father’s here.”

 

“Um, are you going some where, Mrs. Gainsborough?” Barrett asked in confusion as Marlene emerged from the room with another armful of linens.

 

Elmyra nodded. “Yes, I’m moving.”

 

There was a light giggle from Marlene as the girl figured out that Elmyra was going to make Barrett drag the information from her. If nothing else, Elmyra figured it would get him thinking instead of reacting like he was so prone to do. Barrett really was a nice young man, but he let his temper get the better of him more often than not. Much like her late husband, the Gods rest his soul.

 

“Where are you moving to?” Barrett moved over to help Marlene fold the linens into a box.

 

“Wutai.”

 

Barrett stopped and stared at her, she could feel it on the back of her neck. “Why are you moving to Wutai?”

 

She looked at him over her shoulder. “Because the SOLDIERs are.”

 

That got a confused look from him. “Um, but I thought you didn’t like Shinra. So why are you moving with a bunch of SOLDIERs?”

 

"Because they asked her to, Daddy," Marlene said as if it was the simplest answer in the world, and really it was.

 

Elmyra nodded. "Cloud was so nervous when he asked me, as if I would say no to the dear."

 

Barrett’s face tightened in a grimace before he looked down at Marlene. “Can we have a few minutes to talk about adult things, Marlene?”

 

The little girl glared at Barrett. "You're gonna say Cloud's a bad man again, just because he loves another man. He's _not_ a bad man. If he was, he wouldn't have made sure Denzel an' me could go to school."

 

Elmyra shook her head, looking over at Barrett. “I don’t understand what the problem is. He is in a loving relationship with someone who cares for him. Is it because his choice of a partner is another man? Or because it’s Sephiroth?”

 

“It’s not right for two men to be in a relationship like that. No matter who they are,” Barrett stated, gruffly, and Elmyra was amused to notice that he had completely missed her use of present tense when talking about the relationship. He would certainly be in for a surprise when he found out the truth. “Those sort of relationships are wrong.”

 

“Why does it matter who is involved in the relationship as long as they are consenting adults?” countered Elmyra with a gentle tone. “Love will bloom wherever it happens to take seed. Cloud is a wonderful mentor to both Denzel and Marlene, and I don’t know of any orphan that would not benefit from his care.”

 

Barrett looked as if the ladies had taken a board to his head and Elmyra smiled at Marlene. “Why don’t you take your daddy home and let him think about things, okay, Marlene? You can come back tomorrow and help me pack some more if you want.”

 

Marlene nodded and hugged Elmyra before taking Barrett’s arm and leading him out the door. Elmyra shook her head and prayed to the Gods that Barrett Wallace wised up before he lost everything precious to him. Because she didn’t see that sweet young girl staying with him any longer than she had to as long as he continued bad mouthing people she respected.

 

The knock on the door surprised her. She went to answer it, thinking Marlene had forgotten something, but she froze at the sight of the Wutanese Turk that was always around bothering Aeris at her doorstep. She attempted to say something, but found herself unable to, the ingrained fear of the dark-suited men of Shinra still there.

 

“Mrs. Gainsborough, may I talk to you about a possible proposal?” asked the man, Tseng she thought his name was. “I promise this has nothing to do with Shinra, either the company or the man, and everything to do with the people under my command.”

 

Taking a breath, Elmyra opened the door farther, silently inviting him in, and he bowed to her before entering. “May I offer you some tea, Mr. Tseng?”

 

“Thank you, and please, just call me Tseng,” replied the man, and she nodded, waving him over to the table as she started making a pot of tea. She had the feeling that this was going to be a long meeting.

 


	30. Because I Said So

To most citizens of Wutai, the day began as any other, but to the Lady of Wutai, today was a turning point for her people. Or so Yuffie really, _really_ hoped. She had instructed her maids to bring out her finest clothing and decorations, even going as far as to suffer having her hair pinned up for the very heavy and highly ornate headdress that she loathed to wear because she was guaranteed to have a headache by the end of the day. She nearly drew the line at the make up but finally decided that if she was going this far, she might as well go the entire distance.

 

As she carefully walked through the halls with her ladies following behind her, she could hear startled whispers, most wondering if there was going to be an announced engagement. She had to remind herself that she couldn’t start smirking or even correct that rumor because to do so would give away the surprise. And to pull this off, she needed to take the Court by surprise and catch everyone who would object to this decision flat footed.

 

Everyone fell silent as she entered the Throne Room and Godo looked torn between looking wary and like he was going to burst with pride at the sight of her. He was the one that worried her the most about this. He had been the one who had been forced to surrender to Shinra or lose the rest of his people and part of him had never really recovered from that. It was the part that had sent him into the bottle, leaving her to do what she could for their people until he had managed to pull himself out again. They were now just getting back to a friendly relationship, and she prayed to the Ancestors that this didn’t ruin that for them.

 

The doors burst open as a man staggered in and fell to his knees before her as she settled herself on the throne. “My Lady! We’re being invaded!”

 

Angry and worried murmurs started around the room, and Yuffie held up a hand, silencing everyone. Good. They were listening. “Who have you seen invading Us?”she asked, her voice as regal as she could make it.

 

“The Demons of Shinra have returned!”

 

Protests and threats against Shinra rose up from angry throats, and Yuffie let them vent for a few minutes before holding her hand up for silence again. “What banner are they flying?”

 

“The Shinra diamond under a white flag of truce, my lady,” the messenger announced.

 

Yuffie nodded, having expected this, and rose from the throne. She walked past the messenger and out to the front of the pagoda where she stopped at the top of the steps. There was a hasty deployment of guards that rushed to line the stairs leading up to her, and she stood there, patiently waiting, as the rest of the Court spread out behind her, both anxious to see what would happen and fearful with the memories of the past.

 

It was quite the sight that approached down the street, and Yuffie knew it was also the source of many nightmares. Cloud and Zack flanked Sephiroth at the head of the army, all three on large golden chocobos decked out in fancy tack, while the SOLDIERs formed ranks behind them, each one wearing their Dress Uniform complete with all the decorations. They had even managed to find one to fit Cloud. Zack was carrying the banner, and Yuffie swallowed at the _very_ impressive sight he made on his bird. Aeris was a lucky girl.

 

Sephiroth stopped at the foot of the stairs, and people jumped as the SOLDIERs snapped to attention with one last stomp. It was a very impressive showing, and as much as it hurt her ego to admit it, she could understand how Wutai lost to Shinra with such discipline among their ranks. The three slid off their mounts, sending them off to the side, before focusing their attention on her.

 

“We are interested to know why Shinra’s SOLDIERS have deemed it necessary to return to Our lands after its last visit,” Yuffie remarked, her voice carrying out over the courtyard where people were crowding in to find out what was going on.

 

“The last time we were here, it was at the orders of a tyrant who demanded the surrender of your people,” Sephiroth announced, his voice calm but just as loud as hers. “Now, we have returned to right that wrong, Lady Kisaragi of Wutai.”

 

As one, the entire group knelt, weapons coming off their backs to lay before them at their feet in surrender. Zack lowered the banner to the ground before them before laying his sword before him as well. Startled gasps and wild murmurs echoed through the air at the display. Sephiroth bowed his head, his silver hair dragging in the dust at his feet. “The SOLDIERS of Shinra have come to surrender to the Lady of Wutai. Do with us what you will.”

 

Suggestions were shouted at her, everything from enslavement to execution to public humiliation, but the men before her didn’t so much as twitch. After a few minutes, she raised her hands for silence and was pleased when she received it. The crowd had certainly been working their way up to an impressive lynching.

 

“Shinra’s SOLDIERs are an impressive and dangerous force,” she stated, her eyes trained on Sephiroth as she did her best to think cool thoughts to keep from sweating. If she screwed this up, then not only would the SOLDIERs be lynched by her people, but herself as well, no matter how well liked she was by them. “Therefor, you will no longer _be_ Shinra’s.” She snapped her fingers and gestured to the banner. “As you are no longer under Shinra’s command, you have no right to bear his standard."

 

One of the guards descended from the stairs to grab the banner, snap it in half before walking up the stairs to place it before Yuffie. “Until such a time you have repaid Our people for the damages you have brought to us, you will be under Our command as Our Wutai Mercenary Corp. You will be permitted to live on land away from Our people but close enough to be under Our eye, and while you will be allowed to sell your services to others, any service to Us will be part of your sentence as will be a portion of the fees you collect for your services.”

 

There was more muttering but it wasn't in the angry tones she was afraid to hear after the decree. “General Sephiroth, We will discuss the details of your servitude to Us in further detail inside.”

 

“Of course, my lady,” Sephiroth stated as if he had been born one of her people, and Yuffie turned to re enter the pagoda, the people separating before her. Once inside, she let a small smile curl her lips.

 

It was good to be the Empress.

 


	31. Fractured Family

Leaning against the wall, Rude folded his arms and stared at the floor, a frown on his face. In his black suit and dark glasses, his expression was as unreadable as ever, but inside, he was a mass of churning anxiety and uncertainty.

 

There was a Turk endangering the Family.

 

Technically, Rufus wasn’t officially a Turk, but he had been part of their core group and considered one of the family since Tseng had taken the young heir under his wing. Yet, through his actions, he was now endangering both his own life as well as the lives of the remaining Turks. With it just the four of them, Rude didn’t know what they could do to get Rufus off this self-destructive path before they all ended up in unmarked graves.

 

Rude’s eyes cut over to where Reno was staring out a window at the night darkened landscape, quietly smoking a cigarette. Rude knew that had nearly happened to his fiery partner once on an undercover mission. Reno had been the one that was often sent to the Slums to infiltrate the various gangs for information as well as to see who was planning on making a bigger ruckus than was allowed. Back then, his hair had been a nondescript brown, and despite his unique eyes, he had the ability to blend in anywhere. Only, one of those missions went wrong when a young Rufus Shinra had escaped his guards to slip below the Plate. Reno had been down there and had managed to grab the young Shinra, but not before he had angered a few of the Scarlet Stripes gang in the Sector 2 slums. It had been close, and Reno had to offer up himself as sacrifice for the “pesky cousin of a family friend”, which had resulted in the strips of skin cut off below his eyes before the Stripes were satisfied. That had been the last undercover assignment Reno could go on due to the new slashes instantly identifying him to any of the gangs. When the scars healed, Reno had gotten them tattooed a bright red to match the new hair color he sported, both a constant reminder to Rufus what the blond’s carelessness had cost the Turks.

 

“So now what?” Rude looked over at Elena who was trying to not fidget. It was easy to forget that she was the youngest of them when she was in the field, fighting beside them. Right now, she looked like a lost little girl playing dress up.

 

“You’ve never been through a broken family situation, have you, Elena?” Reno asked, his voice soft but serious. He exhaled smoke in a thin stream from his lips as he turned to look at her, the street punk persona fading to be replaced by the well respected Turk. Rude was actually glad to see that as it meant that the situation was serious enough for Tseng’s Second in Command to allow his real personality show. “We haven’t had one since you joined.” He chuckled. “Too busy trying to keep Shinra going and the world from falling apart.”

 

“Broken family? What’s that?” She looked startled at how serious Reno was.

 

“Exactly what it sound like,” rumbled Rude, watching from behind his glasses. “Someone’s trying to break the family, and despite our best intentions, we can’t stop them.” He looked over at Reno. “Orders, sir?”

 

Reno shook his head and returned his gaze to the window. “We’ll wait until the Director returns. He may have more information that he wishes to discuss with us.”

 

The door opened and Rude straightened as Tseng entered the office, quietly closing the door behind him. Reno lit a second cigarette and held it out to Tseng who took it with a tiny nod. They waited as Tseng walked to the center of the room, quietly smoking his cigarette. Rude felt himself relaxing for the first time since this whole mess had started. If Tseng didn’t have at least the beginnings of a plan, the man wouldn’t have been so calm and unruffled.

 

“You have permission to speak freely,” Tseng stated when half the cigarette was gone. “The President is sleeping in his room, and we will be undisturbed for several hours.” He glanced around at them, dark eyes taking everything in while betraying nothing. “Your thoughts on the situation?”

 

“We have a broken family situation, sir,” Reno stated, the hand holding the cigarette coming up to trace a stripe on his face in an absent minded gesture. “And I can’t see any way of stopping it.” He shook his head. “Not even that suicide tape of Strife’s seemed to affect Shinra any.”

 

Rude shook his head. “There’s not enough of us to chance a bait and switch scenario, and even then, there’s no guarantee it would work without a death.” Which is what they were trying to avoid.

 

“Trust is a two way street,” Tseng mused, his words emerging on a cloud of smoke. “We have given Rufus Shinra a great deal of ours, to the point of welcoming him into our family. Yet, what trust has he given to us?”

 

“Aside from keeping our secrets, not much,” Reno said, shaking his head. “He ignores our council despite the fact that it is in his best interest to listen to us.”

 

“No, he’d rather taunt Remnants and jump off of thirty story buildings,” snorted Elena with a dark look towards Rufus’ rooms. Rude managed to repress a shiver as he remembered Rufus falling, taking potshots at Kadaj before Elena and Tseng caught him.

 

A thought occurred to Rude. “When someone broke faith with a gang in the Slums, he’d have to show that he had a change of heart, wanting to repair the damage done,” Rude began, looking at Tseng. “But, they wouldn’t automatically get their old position back. Instead, they had to start at the bottom and work their way back up. Maybe that’s what we’ve done wrong.”

 

“Rufus was just sort of placed in with the Turks,” Elena said. “He didn’t have to work for his position, he never has. Even becoming the Vice President of Shinra was just handed to him.”

 

“We should make him come to us,” Reno added, lighting up another cigarette from the butt of the old one. “And, assuming if he does, he can work his way back up.”

 

“What about the company?” asked Elena, looking at Reno. “How can we be his employees and his superiors?”

 

Tseng shook his head. “The company isn’t going to last long. Rufus is letting too many things slide in his quest to claim Strife for his own. If he is quick, Tuesti may be able to get his hands on what’s left for a pittance if the other heads don’t chop it up first.”

 

Rude let his hands drop to his sides. “Where do we go? Can’t go to Tuesti or we’ll be right back here.”

 

“We go where we can make the most of our skills,” Tseng announced. “General Sephiroth’s new mercenary company.”

 

“They will need someone who can handle any scrap of intelligence while coordinating large groups,” mused Reno, flashing a grin. “Play our cards right, and we can be their intelligence network.” He chuckled. “May not be assassinations in the middle of the night, but shuffling through intelligence leads to a longer life.”

 

Rude nodded in agreement. While he wasn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty, there was just something about finding out the little secrets that a person hid that was just that much more fun. “Orders, sir?”

 

“Pack your bags. The _Shera_ is making a run to Wutai in the morning,” Tseng said, grinding out the cigarette on the bottom of his boot. “We will be on it.”

 

“And Shinra?” asked Elena, more for clarification if her voice was anything to go by. “Do we tell him anything?”

 

“He will receive a letter of resignation from us, simply stating that we do not wish to die for his ego. As previously stated, he will have to work to return to our good graces.” Tseng nodded to them before leaving. Rude nodded at Reno and Elena before heading to his own room. There wasn’t much to pack, but what he had, he didn’t want to leave behind in this new chapter of his life.

 

 


	32. Unexpected Allies

Cloud grunted as he helped some other men lift a wall off the ground, allowing those handling the ropes steady the structure as they walked the wall into position. All over the village, people were working on rebuilding the houses that were left to crumble when the village had been abandoned. Thankfully, most were in good condition, letting them move right in and share the good houses while the others were being repaired. Reeve had sent some starting materials, but the majority of it had been purchased locally to show the native peoples they were serious about wanting to help their new country.

 

There was a rumble of engines overhead, and Cloud smiled as the _Shera_ moved towards the open area just outside the village that had been designated a landing area for the large airship. Since they had officially been given the town by Yuffie, Cid had been flying back and forth between various places around the world and Wutai, dropping off whatever was needed. The families of the SOLDIERs were slowing migrating over as houses were fixed up and some had brought seeds to start food gardens. Aeris' magic with plants was coming through, as her two gardens already had growth showing above the dirt.

 

His attention was brought back to his wall as it started to slip, and he growled as his fingers tightened and he braced himself, determined to keep it from falling. The men on the other side swore as they fought to keep it from falling, but he could feel gravity slowly winning. There was movement on either side of him and muffled grunts from them helped stop the wall from moving. A few men scrambled to fix the wall into position and Cloud could feel the wall get steadier with each support.

 

“It’s good!” shouted someone, and Cloud released it, stepping back with a relieved sigh.

 

“Thanks for the help,” he said, turning to look at the people who had rushed up at the last minute. He froze, a confused look on his face appearing when he found himself looking at Tseng and Elena. Reno and Rude walked over from Cloud’s other side to stand next to Tseng, and Cloud was a bit surprised to find an almost apologetic look on Reno’s face.

 

Tilting his head and shoving his confusion away for now, Cloud looked at the Turks in their black suits, curious and friendly. “What brings you four to Wutai?”

 

“We were hoping to discuss a business arrangement with either you or the General,” remarked Tseng, and Cloud nodded before motioning them to follow him. It was probably better to get the Turks out of sight before someone decided to take exception to their presence.

 

“Sephiroth’s at the office, going through some paperwork with Zack,” Cloud explained with a shrug of a shoulder as he lead them back to the better section of town. There were some people who were already wanting to sign contracts with the Wutai Mercenaries as they were being called, and Reeve had signed a contract with them almost before they had even settled in their new home for rotating guards that would be the backbone of his security both on projects and in WRO Headquarters.

 

He glanced over at Tseng after a few minutes, unable to completely contain his curiosity. “What does Shinra want from us now?”

 

Cloud was sure Rufus would have wanted nothing to do with them after the showing in the church but if the Turks were here, then he might have read the other blonde wrong. Unless Tseng had been sent with a peace offering, or even apology, to get Rufus back in their good graces. But why would he send all four Turks for that?

 

"We have not come at Shinra's request, but for ourselves," Tseng said and Cloud felt his eyebrows reach his hairline. Okay, _that_ was unexpected. Cloud hadn’t heard of the Turks working independently of Shinra before, not unless it was to continue an original mission that had gotten complicated. Glancing at the other three Turks, he saw the grim but determined looks on their faces and knew that whatever had brought them here was something big.

 

Nodding, he turned and entered the office that was slowly becoming the command center for the village. It had been a large store or something originally, but they had converted it into an office and command center. The front room was the waiting area with a secretarial desk that the various wives and a couple of the teenagers were taking turns manning for experience and a bit of pocket money. Behind the desk was a door that lead into the rest of the building, divided up into the conference room, the file room, the break room, restrooms, and the command center taking over the largest part, waiting for the communications network and computers to be set up as they were able to purchase them.

 

Cloud lead them through to the conference room where some files were scattered across the table as Sephiroth and his SiC went over them. They both looked up as Cloud entered, and the blond smiled before saluting them. “Sir, Tseng, Elena, Rude, and Reno want to discuss a business arrangement with you.”

 

An amused smile curled Sephiroth’s lips as he motioned for them to sit down while Zack started gathering up the papers. “Have a seat. Would you care for some refreshments?”

 

Cloud was about to leave when Sephiroth caught his eye, nodding to the seat next to him, and Cloud quietly sat down as the Turks claimed the other seats around the table. He was curious as to why Sephiroth would invite him to stay when it was normally only him and Zack that would negotiate any contract. He should be getting back to help with reconstruction but they would figure it out when he failed to show up.

 

“No, thank you,” Tseng refused with a polite nod of his head.

 

Zack sat down on Sephiroth’s other side, a pad of paper before him along with a fresh folder that Cloud knew contained a blank contract. Sephiroth tilted his head as he sat back in his chair, studying Tseng. "What can we do for you?"

 

"We wish to transfer our loyalty to you," Tseng calmly announced, and the looks on the others faces backed him up.

 


	33. Switching Sides

Tseng was surprised at how calm he managed to keep his voice. Granted, several board-room meetings - as well as clandestine gatherings - had taught him how to conceal what he was thinking and feeling about any given situation. It had taken a late night meeting between the Turks to figure out what was going to happen next. Their hands might be stained with blood, but Aeris's words resonated in the man, forcing him to truly think about the road Rufus Shinra had started down.

 

As soon as he was assigned to the heir as a bodyguard, Tseng had done his best to install some common sense in the young man, teaching him about the Turks and bringing him into the group to try and give him the stability his father and his mistresses were unable to give him. Unfortunately he had been unable to stop Rufus from following in his father's footsteps. He didn't know why Rufus fixated on Strife and careful questions had only resulted in a smug smile. The only thing he could do was try to mitigate the damage as Rufus did everything in his power to claim Cloud.

 

It had taken Reno’s full report - from what he had found while following Cloud, to the video the redhead had 'found' on Reeve's desk at WRO - for Tseng to think back on that meeting that Rufus had called with Cloud’s friends. Yes, there had been anger, but Tseng didn’t think that it had been completely directed at Cloud. Wallace and Lockheart, those two had been furious with Cloud, but the others had no reason to be angry at Cloud for being in a relationship with Sephiroth. After the meeting in the church, Tseng had gone to the one person he knew of that had good advice and the ability to help anyone see through cloudy problems to the heart of the matter.

 

Aeris Gainsborough.

 

Only, she hadn’t been at her mother’s house when he got there, and he had found himself confiding in Elmyra instead. She, in turn, had allowed him to ramble before calmly asking him what Rufus Shinra had done recently to keep his trust. After all, it sounded as if the Turks had given more to Rufus Shinra than he had given back, and trust was suppose to be a two way street. A quick meeting that night, and the Turks were on the next flight to Wutai via the Shera.

 

"And your commitments to Shinra?" Sephiroth asked, snapping Tseng out of his thoughts.

 

Lacing his fingers together, Tseng rested his hands on the table as he stared at those feline eyes. “We cannot continue our employment with Rufus Shinra or the Shinra Corporation. He has ignored our advice and has fallen into the same trap his father did. There is nothing we can do to keep him from self destructing.”

 

Unstated was the fear that Rufus would lead them all to their deaths as he continued on that path. Tseng wasn’t completely sure that Gaia’s ex-communication of the blond would straighten him out, even after all the information that they had shown Rufus.

 

There was a thoughtful hum from Sephiroth. “And the rest of you? Are you in agreement?”

 

The other three glanced automatically at Tseng. He nodded, granting them permission to speak freely.

 

Reno sighed and raked a hand through his hair. “Lemmie explain a few things for ya, at least how I see ‘em. Rufus had me tailing Cloud after their disastrous meeting in the Tower, and I saw a bit more than I should have, but it also made me realize just how far out of Rufus’ grasp you were. Especially when wearing Sephiroth's mark. I told Rufus you were untouchable but he didn’t buy it. He also didn’t believe me when I warned him he was turning into his old man with his own Lillian St. Jean, and yeah, I nicked the tape you left for Reeve to show him.” He snorted and shook his head at Cloud’s surprised look. “Didn’t seem to do any good, but then, I’m just a street punk to him. Ain’t nothin’ I can do to stop Rufus if he’s dead set on a course, so I’d rather get the hell outta dodge before his pig headedness sees me with metal where no metal should be.”

 

That nearly got a smirk from Tseng. It was a very little known fact that Reno was as much a street punk as Shinra himself, but that image was carefully cultivated, creating a person that was as far removed from the educated and cultured Richard Ellington Norwood, of the Costa Del Sol Norwoods.

 

“He had a taste of mortality when he was stricken with Geostigma and now that he's recovered, he's determined to live his life to the fullest," Rude said, the sound almost rumbling as he reached up to remove the ever-present sunglasses. Franklin Covey, on the other hand, had been a street brat that had been making a living as a night clerk at a gas station when he’d put three mob enforcers on the ground without breaking a sweat after they’d tried to pressure him into opening the till for them. Tseng had heard of the incident and had snapped up the young man after he'd been arrested for public disobedience. It had been taken a bit of work to polish the rough edges off the young man and his code-name had been a running joke when all the secretaries had remarked that young Franklin couldn’t be the rude young man they had heard about.

 

“And if doing so means he ends up taking us down with him, he won't even hesitate," Elena sighed, shaking her head. “We might not be much of anything now, not when compared to what the Turks were before Meteor, but we’re still good at what we do. Information, covert ops, disposal, we’ve been used for it all.”

 

“What about Rufus Shinra?” inquired Zack, and the attention shifted to him as he shrugged a shoulder. “You’re the only ones standing between him and someone with a grudge.”

 

That got a soft sigh from Tseng. “It was not an easy choice to come here and abandon him, but it was the only one we had. The Turks are a family, yes, but we won't let one of ours destroy the rest."

 

“Why didn’t you go to Reeve? Surely he would have taken you in,” Zack asked.

 

"Because it would have been too easy for Shinra to reclaim us that way," Tseng countered. "Reeve is often forced to loan out some of his resources to Rufus due to the original agreement when they created the WRO. It wouldn't be difficult for Rufus to request us back should we go to him."

 

The three SOLDIERs - he supposed he should think of them as mercenaries now - exchanged long looks, silently communicating among themselves. The Turks had laid their cards on the table, and now the ball was firmly in their corner. Finally, Sephiroth nodded and turned his attention back to the Turks.

 

“Very well. We have need of someone to set up and monitor the Communications Center,” Sephiroth remarked with a tilt of his head. “It is not much right now, but as our funding grows, we have plans to create a state of the art nerve center. For that to happen, we need people who can sort through both large amounts of information and sensitive information while training others to work in the Comm Center."

 

Tseng nodded, understanding what was being offered. “What about salary?” he inquired, wanting to get a general idea of what sort of funds they would be working with.

 

“Free room and board in a house of your choosing with a modest salary for you to live on. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to afford much at this point, but as our funds increase so will the pay,” Zack put in before grinning. “But you’ll be the Senior Officers of the Comm Center.”

 

“Would we be allowed to bring in outside equipment to improve the Comm Center?” Tseng glanced at them, his mind already going through the resources he could reclaim since much of it was purchased for Turk use. Or even some that they could liberate from a few facilities that were mothballed during Meteor.

 

That got a nod of Sephiroth’s head. "As long as it's not detrimental to the Communications Center." This was stated with a firm look towards Reno who just chuckled and sat back in his chair.

 

With a nod and a small smile, Tseng stood up and extended his hand. “Then it will be a pleasure working for you, sir.”

 


	34. Surprise Inspection

Yuffie led her guards into Gusuku, the town dedicated to her new mercenary army, with a smile. She had been pleasantly surprised to see how much work the new residents had gotten done in only a couple of months. Houses that had been in need of serious repair now stood together in solid blocks with people out in the front tending to small gardens. People were stopping to stare at them as they rode past, and Yuffie was willing to bet her materia that the ones they couldn’t see were spreading the word that she was here. Not that she hadn’t called Cloud the night before and let him know that she was stopping by.

 

By the time the group arrived at the main office located roughly in the center of the town, Cloud and Sephiroth were outside on the front steps, waiting for her while in a relaxed stance. When she stopped in front of them, Cloud snapped to attention while Sephiroth drew himself upright in a respectful way.

 

“My lady, it is a pleasure to be able to host you,” greeted Sephiroth with a bow as she dismounted her chocobo. “I apologize that we were unable to muster a greeting appropriate for you.”

 

“That is perfectly fine, Sephiroth,” she replied with a smile as she brushed a bit of dust off of her traveling kimono. “I just thought I would check to see how you were settling in as well as bring you a gift.”

 

“You have given us much more than we could hope to have, my lady.”

 

Yuffie grinned and bounced a bit on her toes as one of her guards brought a large box over and placed it before the Silver General. "Well, you'd lost all your possessions so I thought to replace some of them with something a bit more appropriate."

 

“Your generosity is more than appreciated, my lady.” She watched as he knelt and opened the box to reveal several hakama made of sturdy cloth with matching gi. Much more comfortable in the humid environment of Wutai than the leather he was currently wearing. There were a few startled gasps behind her as Sephiroth held up one of the gi, revealing her personal standard embroidered on the cloth. Even Cloud’s eyes were a bit wide as he stared at the emblem marking them as Yuffie's personal army.

 

Sephiroth bowed his head in acknowledgment of the gift as he placed the gi back into the box before picking it up. "Would you like a tour of the town?"

 

“Sure!” she chirped, bouncing over to link arms with both Sephiroth and Cloud. She grinned up at both of them. “Show me what you have.”

 

Shaking his head, Cloud looked down at her. “Just for the record, we might be your personal army, but we refuse to perform missions to go steal materia for you.”

 

That sparked gasps of shock from the few courtiers who had accompanied her as Cloud _dared_ to talk to their Lady in such a manner. It made her want to roll her eyes at them. Had they forgotten that Cloud was her friend _before_ he was her subordinate?

 

“But Cloud! What use _are_ you?" she pouted as she gave him puppy eyes, getting even more gasps from the courtiers. Cloud just rolled his eyes. He was always so much fun to tease. She glanced up at Sephiroth to find him keeping a straight face as they entered in the Command Center.

 

She looked around as they entered, blinking in surprise at the sight of Rude and Reno lugging computer equipment through the halls while Tseng supervised. She hadn’t thought that Cloud would be so nice as to get the Turks away from Shinra, or maybe it had been Aeris’ parting words to Tseng at the church that had done it. Either way, the Turks were here with her men instead of with Shinra.

 

“Hey! _They_ can get me my materia!” Yuffie exclaimed with a happy bounce.

 

Cloud sighed and rolled his eyes. “Remember what I said outside?”

 

“But they’re Turks! They’re not part of your _real_ army,” she argued, sticking her tongue out at Cloud.

 

“Actually, we’re part of their communications department,” corrected Tseng with a polite nod of his head. “So yes, we are off limits for materia hunting.” A small smirk crossed his face. “However, if you ask nicely, we’ll be sure to keep an eye out as we’re out and about.”

 

She sniffed before sticking her tongue out at him. It's not fair that she had all these people under her command and she couldn't even get them to hunt down her materia.

 


	35. Bird Crazy

Her head came up as she looked around at the flock. Each one, down to the freshly hatched chicks, was looking at her and waiting on her decision. They had known something was up when their wingless father had stopped by a few days ago and had waited to see if anything would change. When it'd been obvious nothing would be happening anytime soon, the head hen decided they'd just have to join to Leader where he was instead. With a warbling call, the hen turned and started towards where she could feel their new home was.

 

When Frankie walked out with the large feedbags later that day, he frowned at the lack of greeting calls that usually accompanied his arrival. Dropping the bags on the ground, he looked around and started swearing. There wasn’t a single bird to be seen _anywhere_! Snarling, he dug into his pocket for his PHS. Mr. Cloud was not going to be happy if his flock disappeared. He best get some help finding those bird brains before Mr. Cloud came calling for them.

 

It would have been easier to head over the large expanse of water to Leader, but that would have left the chicks vulnerable to the hunters under their feet. So, the hen decided to head over land, taking the longer, but safer route. The ground flew by them as they ran, excited chirps and warbles being bounced back and forth between the birds with the occasional call of a hen for her chick. They didn’t have much trouble until they hit the brackish water where the large scales hid. They had managed to make it most of the way across before one of the roosters sounded an alarm. Instantly, the flock circled, many hens crouching down to let the chicks up on their backs, while the rest continued looking for the danger, feathers fluffed and talons curled. There was only a ripple of water before the large scale burst out of the water, but it was enough.

 

A traveler had called in a slightly frantic report about trouble near the swamps, and Reeve had sent a couple of his new guards out to investigate. Jacobson and Hendricks stopped their truck near the edge of the road and looked out over the brackish water. In the back of the truck, their chocobos, a pair of yellows loaned to them for this mission, shifted and quietly cooed to each other. It didn’t take long for them to find the corpse, and they could only shake their heads at the evidence of the fight that had occurred.

 

"Looks like there's a flock of chocobos moving through the area," Jacobson mused with a small laugh.

 

Hendricks nodded before leaning out of his saddle to pick up a yellow feather. “Yep. Wonder which way they’re heading?”

 

That got a shrug of Jacobson’s shoulders. "Only the gods can know where a chocobo will go."

 

They turned to head back to Edge, the feather falling back into the brackish water, a metallic sheen showing occasionally.

 

She could tell they were getting close to the water as the moisture in the air grew. The hen could smell the metal and lightning of the ones like Leader, so she called out and started going towards it, knowing the easiest way to get to the water was through the metal nest. The others moved with her as they moved slowly to give the wounded time to recover.

 

Francine never thought she would see an entire _flock_ of chocobo race through downtown Junon. Yet, there they were and all she could do was stare at them as they passed.. She didn’t know why the flock had decided to migrate through Junon, but no one was going to stop them. No one was that suicidal to face off against their beaks and talons. They weren’t hurting anything - well other than the occasional cart that didn’t get out of the way fast enough. She could only watch, spellbound, as the flock casually jumped off the pier to run across the water, and she felt her knees give way beneath her. That had been a flock of golds. The golds that were supposed to be nothing more than legend. Her eyes rolled up into her head as she collapsed to the ground in a faint.

 

Dusty sand was thrown up by claws as they continued moving, and the hen let out a surprised whistle as she caught sight of other chocobos, racing in the distance. They weren't part of their flocks, and were nowhere near as fast as _they_ were, but then nothing was. With a slight shift, the flock started racing towards the other flock.

 

Harry crouched low over his chocobo, trying to encourage Black Shadow to go faster. James and Blue Flame was hot on his tail, and his boss told him that if he lost another race to that blue feather duster, then he was out of a job. Gritting his teeth, he leaned even closer to the black feathers, trying to make himself as small as possible. A loud whistle that could only be described as cheerful nearly deafened him, and he swore. How the hell did that blue feather duster catch up with him?

 

He turned his head, expecting to see James’ smug face only to get the shock of his life. Easily pacing him was a yellow! That wasn’t possible! The only yellow in the race was Golden Sunshine, and he’d left that slowpoke in the dust three lengths back! He turned his head to see who could have possibly gotten a yellow this far to the front of the pack only to realize two things in rapid succession; There was no jockey on the that bird, and there were more of those birds behind him. As if they had just been waiting for him to notice them, the bird whistled again, and the whole flock put on a burst of speed. He could only blink at the cloud of dust that they were left in. He let out a small sound that could have been a hysterical laugh. Maybe his boss wouldn’t mind if he lost to a riderless chocobo.

 

Ignoring the steep climb, they raced up the mountains with ease. Occasionally they would cross a flat portion but they didn’t pay any attention to it. They did pay attention when the hen shifted towards the metal and stone nest that also had the scent of fresh water. It had been a long run through the sand, and this was the first water they had come across. They were thirsty.

 

Maggie was sitting on a stone next to the bird trough, a miserable look on her face as she tried not to cry. Her knee was skinned and her hair was messed up because Tommy pushed her down and got the other kids to laugh at her. Just because she was a girl didn’t mean she couldn’t play with them. She sniffed and scrubbed her eyes, trying to hide her tears. Last thing she wanted to be was a crybaby on top of a girl.

 

There was a soft ‘kweh’ before she felt something tugging on one of her pigtails. She sniffed and looked up, expecting to find Tommy or one of the other children ready to make fun of her. Instead, she found herself looking at a _beautiful_ yellow chocobo. She looked around to find herself surrounded by more birds, most of them drinking water. A chicobo chirped and nuzzled her, looking up at her with big blue eyes. She giggled, reaching out to scratch it above it's eyes. It crooned and leaned into her touch, getting another giggle from her. Those feathers tickled.

 

“Maggie!” Her mother’s voice caught her attention. She looked up to find her mother trying to get close to her, but the birds were in the way. There was a strange look on her mother’s face, but Maggie grinned and waved to her. She watched as her mother took a breath, like she did when she didn’t want to yell at Maggie. “Maggie, darling, why don’t you come over here away from those... birds.”

 

"Why, mommy?" Maggie giggled. "Their feathers tickle!"

 

The birds made a bunch of noises before they turned and started off again. She looked down to find the chicabo still sitting there with its head in her lap. “You should go with your mommy.”

 

Instead, the chicabo chirped and settled down, apparently quite comfortable where it was. Her mother came racing over as soon as the birds were gone and knelt next to her. “Oh gods, Maggie. You scared me!”

 

Maggie was suddenly swept up in a tight hug, and she smiled as she hugged her mother back. Her mother wasn’t going to punish her for being scared. The chicabo cheeped, and Maggie looked down at it with a grin. “Look, Mommy. They let me keep her.”

 

Her mother sighed and looked down at the little chickabo. “We should see if the chicabo belongs to anyone, Sweetie. They might not like it if you kept one of their chicabos no matter what the flock says.”

 

“Okay Mommy. But if they don't mind, can I keep her?" She looked up at her mother with large, hopeful eyes, getting another sigh. That was a yes, and Maggie grinned.

 

They hit some water again and the hen knew they were getting closer to Leader and home. With a delighted warble, she picked up the pace, racing for Leader. The delighted whistles echoed behind her as the flock raced across the land, heading directly for Leader.

 

The people of Wutai could only stare in shock and awe as the gold flock raced across the land, ignoring everything in their way. Buildings were skirted around and carts were jumped over with a grace that would make a dancer weep with envy. Yet it was only those at the Royal Palace who realized that the flock was heading the same direction their Lady had earlier that day.. A flock of gold chocobos were racing to honor their Lady of Wutai. Scribes ran for paper and ink to record this day.

 

Cloud had stepped outside with Sephiroth and Yuffie, when excited and familiar whistles caught his attention. He turned towards the noise and his shoulders slumped as he found a very familiar flock of golds racing towards them. He had just enough time to get in the middle of the street before he was swarmed by the birds. He couldn't hear Yuffie's laughter over the excited chirps and whistles but he just knew it was there. Finally, after several minutes, he managed to get the birds calmed down and started taking a head count to see how many had been lost on the trip.

 

“You just couldn’t wait for me to come get you, could you?” he sighed, shaking his head as he took in the various injuries that would need tending. There was a chick missing, but the overall mood of the flock was joyful instead of mourning, so the chicabo must have been left somewhere for some reason. “So, where’d you leave the baby, hm?”

 

Just then, his PHS started ringing, and he dug it out with a sigh as he recognized the number. “Hello?”

 

“Mr. Strife, sir? Ah, I’ve got something to tell you,” stuttered the nervous voice of a stable hand from the Ranch.

 

Cloud looked at the flock that instantly quieted down and were watching him. “Oh?”

 

“Uh, yes, well, we discovered something this morning,” continued the hand, and Cloud could hear the growing nervousness in his voice. “You... ah... might want to sit down for this.”

 

“I’m fine. What’s going on?” Cloud managed to keep the growing amusement out of his voice. He really shouldn’t find this funny, but he did.

 

“.... yourbirdshavegonemissingandwedon'tknowwheretheyare.” Cloud blinked and looked at the PHS. He thought only Yuffie had the ability to talk without breathing, but apparently, the Ranch hand had it as well.

 

“Take a deep breath, calm down, and repeat that again,” Cloud ordered.

 

There was a sigh from the hand. “Your birds have gone missing. We don’t know where they are.”

 

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure they’ll turn up eventually.” He glanced around at the birds, and one let out a whistle. “In fact, they showed up here about a minute before you called.”

  
There was a strangled noise on the other end before the connection went dead, and Cloud looked down at his PHS to realize that he had somehow been disconnected. With a shrug of his shoulder, he pocketed the device. He’d figure out what was wrong with the man later. Right now, he had a flock to get settled, and perhaps a chicabo to locate.


	36. Welcome to SOLDIER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mention of smut but nothing shown

Cloud had been twitchy and jumpy for the past few days but didn’t know why. Even Sephiroth hadn’t helped. His Master had bound him and fucked him senseless but it didn’t _help_. Frankly, Cloud was starting to get angry at how uncomfortable he was feeling in his own skin, like there was a persistent itch beneath the surface that he just couldn’t scratch no matter what he tried. It wasn’t something he ate because he hadn’t eaten the same thing every day, and Aeris had declared the water free of any contaminates.

 

A friendly arm dropped around his shoulders and Cloud jumped, so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t heard Zack approaching. He looked over at Zack’s grinning face. “Come on. Let’s go wear this out some.”

 

“But nothing works, Zack,” sighed Cloud, running a frustrated hand through his hair. That just got a chuckle, and Zack tugging him out of the garden where Cloud had been taking his frustration out on the ground for Aeris. Aeris looked up at them and waved before returning her attention to her flowers, leading Cloud to believe that she knew where Zack was taking him and not worried. That reassured him somewhat.

 

They walked down the streets in a comfortable silence, and Cloud relaxed some, not feeling as twitchy for some reason. Maybe this was all he needed, a chance to get out with a friend and relax. He had been under some stress since the SOLDIERs had relocated to Wutai, setting up a mercenary group’s paperwork was different than setting up a one person delivery service, and Sephiroth had been just as stressed getting various contracts signed for their group to start making money to pay their ‘rent’ to Yuffie. Not that she was demanding it or anything, but it would slowly stop the evil looks they were getting from the Wutainese people.

 

He blinked in surprise as Zack lead him into the dojo that was on the edge of town. Zack grinned and shoved him towards the showers. “Go get cleaned up.”

 

Cloud wondered what was going on, but he dutifully washed the dirt and sweat from his skin, relaxing a bit under the hot water. It was still a firm belief of his that there wasn’t much in the world that a hot shower couldn’t solve, and he thanked the gods that Reeve had been able to help fix the plumbing. Stepping out of the shower, he quickly dried off before fastening his collar back around his neck, but when he went to look for his clothes, all he found was a simple yukata. Rolling his eyes at this and vowing to get even with Zack, he shrugged it on, belting it as he walked out into the main room. He was not looking forward to walking home in only the thin robe.

 

Sliding the door open to the main room, he stopped to stare at the sight of every SOLDIER lounging around on the futon covered floor with Sephiroth reclining on a mound of pillows like some feudal lord over his subjects. Except, Cloud was sure there was a lot more clothes and a lot less skin with those ancient feudal lords, especially considering Cloud was the only one wearing any clothing in the room.

 

Zack walked over to Cloud and stared into his eyes, something cupped in one hand. “Trust me, Cloud?”

 

Without hesitating, Cloud nodded, and Zack grinned, his hands coming up to drop a familiar set of dog tags over his head before unfastening his collar. He stiffened, a protest on his lips but Zack placed a finger over his mouth, hushing him. “You’ll get it back, I promise.”

 

Cloud watched a bit wide eyed as Zack walked over to sit next to Sephiroth, the collar resting next to his Master’s hand, and his eyes danced around the room, noticing that each person here was wearing dog tags as well.

 

“We have been remiss, Cloud, and for that, I apologize,” Sephiroth said, his tone apologetic, and Cloud relaxed a bit at that. “SOLDIERs are many things, but what we are above everything else is a pack. Every new member is welcomed by the pack.” He smiled and the two men closest to Cloud stood up to slide the yukata from his body, leaving him as naked as the rest of them. They escorted Cloud to Sephiroth who pulled him down onto the pillows as well. “Welcome to SOLDIER, First Class Cloud Strife.”

 

Then he was being kissed by General Sephiroth as hands started stroking his skin. Cloud moaned and gave himself to his comrades, his pack, and as the first one slid into him, the itch under his skin vanished. He was finally part of the pack.

 


	37. Not So Thick Headed

People react to change in different ways. Many just accept them and work their lives around the changes. Others would fight against them, determined to resist for as long as possible before finally giving in to the inevitable. Barrett Wallace on the other hand, bellowed for a while before ignoring the changes in anger and snarling whenever it came up. But some changes refused to go away, no matter how much he snarled.

 

Such as the matter with Cloud Strife.

 

Barrett had been raised in the belief that physical relations were _always_ between a man and a woman and _always_ a private affair. The girls a the Honey Bee Inn had been immoral and unclean for the way they sold their bodies like that, and Barrett was determined that Marlene would _never_ be forced into such a position. And one of the best ways to ensure that was to keep perverts away from her. And it wasn’t ‘normal’ or ‘proper’ for two men to be together or a woman to strip in front of a room full of strangers.

 

After Elmyra had announced that she was moving to Wutai, Marlene had pretty much pushed Barrett into a chair at their house and explained a few hard facts to her father. Such as the fact that Cloud had been helping pay for her schooling and with her homework so she wouldn’t be struggling. Cloud had also been teaching her how to defend herself from the bullies that tried to physically push her around.

 

So, it was a very confused Barrett that was sitting at _Seventh Heaven_ ’s bar, a drink in one hand and a head full of muddied thoughts. Tifa bustled around behind the bar, trying to get things ready for the day.

 

“Tifa, tell me about Strife,” he finally requested, unable to figure out why someone who wasn’t normal would help his little girl be as normal as possible.

 

Instead of immediately replying, she threw him a glare before slamming something down. “What do you want to know about the bastard?”

 

Barrett blinked in surprise at the sheer venom in her voice, but his yearning to understand Cloud Strife outweighed his consideration for her feelings. “Why’d he take up with a man? Was his daddy like that?”

 

She snorted. “He’s a _Strife_. The bastard didn’t have a father. At least not one willing to claim him.” Her eyes hardened as she went back to her cleaning. “Just shows like mother like son.”

 

“What about his other relatives? Uncles or cousins.” He was sure this had to be learned from some male relative. How else could someone like Strife learn to be normal?

 

Now Tifa’s growl had a note of frustration in it. “The only relative he had was his mother. The second she became pregnant and the father wouldn’t step forward, she became a Strife. That’s how it was.” She shook her head. “Should have let any fantasies remain just that. Shoulda remembered that he’s a Strife, and they’re always no good.”

 

“I thought you were sweet on him,” Barrett remarked, feeling even more confused. Strife didn’t have anyone besides his momma growing up? “Were you going to be a Strife if you two married?”

 

“No. He would have become a Lockheart,” Tifa said before shaking her head again. “I’d never be a Strife.”

 

Barrett sighed before finishing his drink. Dropping some Gil on the counter, he wandered outside and started walking. He still didn’t understand why Cloud Strife had turned out the way he had, a pervert that was willing to help Marlene. The answers he had gotten from Tifa hadn’t helped his confusion in the slightest. Instead it had only served to make it worse. Sighing in frustrated anger, he ran his real hand over the neat cornrows in his hair, desperate to make any sense of his jumbled thoughts. A heavy truck rumbled past him carrying equipment, and automatically, Barrett looked up to see where it was going when the WRO logo caught his eye.

 

 _Maybe Reeve can help me,_ he mused. It was common knowledge that Reeve and Strife had spent more than one weekend together getting grease under their nails. If anyone could help him, it was Reeve. With a determined nod, Barrett turned and started for the WRO office and the answers he hoped were there.

 

 


	38. A Broken Man

Emerging from his truck, Reeve looked up at the Shinra cabin with a frown of concern. Usually one of the Turks would already be there to greet him and find out his business, but there was a distinct lack of black suits. He carefully drew his gun from its concealed holster before cautiously approaching the building even as he wished he’d asked Vincent to come along. He’d never needed a guard the previous times he’d met with Rufus Shinra due to the Turk presence. Silently, he ghosted up the steps and pushed open the door only to stare in disbelief at the scene that greeted him.

 

Empty bottles lay everywhere among the broken furniture, adding to the general mess of the place, and the scent of alcohol nearly hid the stench of unwashed bodies. Reeve amended that to _a_ body as he finally caught sight of Rufus curled up in a corner of the destroyed room with a half empty bottle cradled in his arms. The blond’s usually pristine clothes were rumpled and stained as if he had been wearing them for days, and there was the start of a beard on his face. Whatever had reduced the proud young man to this state, it had to have been much more than just the excommunication announcement at the church.

 

“Rufus?” Reeve quietly called as he continued looking for any threats. From the state Rufus was in, a malboro could be hiding in a corner and he wouldn’t know. “Where are the Turks?”

 

“Gone,” moaned the pitiful looking man. “They’ve left.”

 

Shaking his head, Reeve quickly checked the rest of the rooms before calling Vincent for backup. He wanted an extra set of eyes as he tried to figure out just where the Turks were. It would also give him backup as he investigated the full situation with Shinra, both the man and the company. He had never seen Rufus so broken before, but it was hard to feel sympathetic to the blond when Reeve remembered Cloud falling from the ruined tower.

 

“Come on,” sighed Reeve, hauling Rufus to his feet. “Let’s get you clean, sobered up, and some food into you. After that, we’ll figure out what to do next.”

 

Blue eyes hazy with alcohol tried to focus on Reeve’s face. “Why’re you bein’ so nice?” asked Rufus, his voice slurring only a little. It was rather impressive considering how many empty bottles were littering the room. “Tried to take yer friend as a toy, but he ended up with everything and I got nothing. No Dark Nation who was the only one to love me without a reason. No Turks, the didn’t want to die to my ego. Nothin’.”

 

Reeve managed to maneuver Rufus into the bathroom as his thoughts raced. The Turks left because they thought Rufus’ ego would get them killed? After all the dangerous missions that they had done? There had to be more to the story than just that, but Reeve would have to wait to find out later. Right now, he would help Rufus pick up the broken pieces of his life but keeping them would be the blond’s job.

 


	39. Chess Moves

Vincent climbed up the stairs with a whisper of fabric as his mind sorted through the recent information he had discovered in regards to the strange situation between Rufus Shinra and his now ex-Turks. It had not been that difficult to locate them, not when a call had him unexpectedly speaking to the very people that had vanished. A few quiet words from Tseng had explained the entire situation to Vincent’s understanding. Of course, with those four and their network working for Sephiroth, the man would never lack for intel ever again.

 

Not bothering to knock, Vincent opened the door and nearly gagged at the stench of alcohol that hung thick in the air. There were a couple of windows open, but it seemed to be a losing battle against the stench. Part of Vincent had to wonder what sort of bender Rufus had been on to affect the rooms like this.

 

“In here, Vincent,” called Reeve, and a frown crossed the gunman’s face. How had Reeve known it was him instead of an assassin? Crossing the floor, and managing to avoid the various bottles and broken furniture, he entered the room Reeve’s voice had called from to find the man in question sitting behind a desk, furiously typing away at the computer. Next to him, a second computer screen showed the outside of the cabin, revealing the answer to Vincent’s question.

 

“Shinra?” asked Vincent, glancing at the various open files and programs out of habit. It appeared that Reeve was taking the opportunity to not only rifle through the various files  in the database but also to requisition various materials to WRO’s own projects. A couple of the shipments were already marked as ‘in delivery’ to WRO but the date stamped on them was nearly two months ago. It seemed that Rufus could only concentrate on one thing at a time, and while his head was in his pants, his company was forgotten. As well as his various employees and business dealings. Vincent wouldn’t blame Reeve in the slightest if Reeve made off with more of Shinra’s resources.

 

“Cleaned up and sleeping,” Reeve said before a smirk crossed his face. “He’s going to hate life when he wakes up.”

 

Vincent hummed. “The Turks are now the Communication Center for Sephiroth’s group.”

 

Reeve’s eyes widened slightly before he sat back with a thoughtful look on his face. “I guess it’s not that unexpected. Unable to follow Rufus, they would have sought out a way to put their talents to use.”

 

“Why not come to you?” inquired Vincent, tilting his head as he head cloth rusting in the other room. Rufus was starting to wake up.

 

“Because Rufus could have asked for them back per the agreement between our companies,” Reeve stated with a small sigh. “This move takes them out of his possible control completely.” He snorted, shaking his head. “Not that he’s been doing _anything_ with what’s left of his company. Hells, I’ve been waiting _months_ for some of these shipments for my projects, and he’s been obsessing over Cloud’s ass.”

 

Chuckling, Vincent flashed him a smirk. “It _is_ a nice ass.”

 

That took Reeve by surprise and he laughed. “Yeah it is,” he agreed before shaking his head. “I’d honestly be doing his employees a favor to absorb what’s left of his company into the WRO before making him a mail room boy.”

 

Vincent was about to respond when a low, tortured moan came from the next room, and Reeve stood with a smirk. “Sounds like Rufus is awake.”

 

With a dark smile, Vincent left Reeve to head for the coffee maker. It seemed the punishment was going to fit the crime after all.

 


	40. Morning After

He had been comfortably drifting in a peaceful darkness, letting it soothe the ache that had become his constant companion since his family had left him. An ache that he had tried desperately to run from using alcohol. It had been a welcomed oblivion that had cradled him as the booze numbed him.

 

Suddenly, consciousness slammed down on him, and he moaned as his body let him know just how upset it was with him. Nothing had ever hurt this bad before, not getting blown up, not the ‘Stigma. _Nothing._ Briefly, he wondered if he was going to die, before he banished that thought. Gaia was too much of a bitch to let him die, not when he would suffer more by living.

 

Strong hands eased him into a mostly upright position before a glass was placed at his lips. Cool water teased his parched mouth, igniting a desperate thirst, and he greedily drank it, uncaring if there was anything added to the liquid. Two more glasses were consumed before Rufus attempted to open his eyes. He was surprised to find the room nearly pitch black, and his head was eternally grateful to his mysterious nursemaid who was calmly sitting next to the bed. The wary part that had been trained by Tseng however, wanted to know who was taking care of him as he realized two very important things. One, he was quite naked under the covers, and two, he didn’t smell like he’d been on one long bender.

 

A second humanoid figure crossed the room, bringing with it the most heavenly smell in the world.

 

Coffee.

 

Not caring if the two people had ill intent, Rufus grabbed the mug that was offered and drank the coffee down in one gulp, wincing slightly at the heat. The coffee was strong enough to peel paint off a car and as black as the Slums had been, but Rufus recognized it immediately, having practically grown up on it.

 

Turk Coffee.

 

“After our last meeting, I was sure you and your group wanted nothing to do with me, Mr. Tuesti,” Rufus said, glad his voice didn’t quite hurt his head as he looked up at his unexpected savior from alcohol poisoning.

 

“I decided it would be a poor business decision to allow you to die through your own foolishness, so I stepped in,” Reeve remarked, making no effort to modify the volume of his voice, and Rufus winced hard as a spike of pain lanced through his head. “Besides, how would you learn your lesson from the Lifestream?”

 

“And just what will this cost me?” Rufus said, trying to sound bored and arrogant, but he had a feeling he had failed miserably at that.

 

“Get dressed. We’ll talk in the office,” Reeve ordered as his shadowy form moved over to the door, and Rufus managed to bite back a whimper as light from the outer room flooded the bedroom. “You have ten minutes.”

 

Rufus wanted to bare his teeth in a snarl at the time limit. He wasn’t some teenager that needed rules and regulations! He was a grown man with responsibilities! Then the reality of his circumstances crashed down on him again, and he realized with despair that he wasn’t an adult, not in attitude. He’d driven off the only family he had ever really had because of his behavior. So what was he going to do about it?

 

Climbing out of bed, he moved over to his dresser, turning on a small light that only hurt his head a little bit. He stared at the picture resting there, reaching out to caress his fingers over the wooden frame. It was the only one of him surrounded by his four Turks and Dark Nation at his side, taken a few weeks before his father’s murder. Back when things were much more simple.

 

Rufus wanted his family back as well as those simpler times. Unfortunately, he didn’t know how to go about reclaiming such times let alone regaining the trust of his Turk family. Shaking his head, he got dressed and tried to prepare himself to deal with both Reeve Tuesti and Vincent Valentine while still recovering from the drinking binge. Hells, after all the meetings he had to attend as the Vice President where he wasn’t allowed to kill anyone, this should be a walk in the park.

 

Picking up the picture, he carried it with him as he left the bedroom, a reminder of what his ego had cost him.


	41. Exploration

A single shaft of sunlight stabbed through the broken earth to illuminate a vast underground cavern as two men carefully made their way down thick cables. Finally reaching the bottom, their boots splashed in ankle deep water, and Frankie made a face as Sven started setting up the relay.

 

“Is that thing actually going to work?” Frankie asked, pulling his polearm off his back.

 

Sven shrugged a shoulder. “I dunno. It’s Turk tech which means…”

 

“Touchy as hell and libel to leave you hanging,” they chorused before laughing.

 

A slight crackle in Frankie’s ear reminded him of the headset he was wearing. “You boys should have more faith in us,” drawled Reno’s voice, and Frankie could just picture the red haired Turk sprawled at his control panel  in Wutai, a screen flickering with the images the small camera attached to the set was transmitting. “You’re my cigarette fund.”

 

Sven snickered before flipping a few switches, starting the relay humming. “Getting a better signal now, Reno?”

 

“Coming in loud and clear,” replied Reno. “Picture’s good too, so we’ll be able to see the behemoth that makes you two shriek.”

 

“Ha, ha, very funny,” Frankie drawled before starting off in a direction that would eventually lead to the dead reactor. Sven fell into step beside him, a giant double bladed ax in his hands. They were quiet, eyes searching out the darker shadows of the cavern, and after about a dozen feet, they were forced to turn on the small lights attached to their belts as even mako-enhanced eyes were useless in total darkness.

 

“These look like natural caverns,” mused Frankie after a few minutes. Stalactites and stalagmites appeared like silent sentries out of the darkness, and occasionally a faint shimmer of green seemed to ripple through the water. “Think these use to be full of mako before Midgar was built?”

 

Bending, Sven picked something out of the water before holding out a small mako crystal to Frankie. “Yup.”

 

Frankie shook his head as Sven let the crystal fall back into the water with a small splash, before they continued on. They were ultimately looking for any monsters or signs that more of Midgar were going to join the subterranean landscape. One of the WRO technicians had called in a report about the large hole when he had come out to repair some sensors and nearly fell into it. Tuesti was getting an engineering team together to see just how far the caverns ran and if there was any danger to Edge from them. Meanwhile, he had paid for a couple of Sephiroth’s men to see if any monsters were using the caverns as a home.

 

Frankie and Sven continued towards the Sector 8 reactor, carefully marking their way as it would be quite easy to get lost down there. Reno occasionally made a comment to reassure them that they were still connected to Headquarters but otherwise remained silent. It was an action they were thankful for as it allowed them to listen for monsters.

 

As they rounded a corner, Frankie stopped in awe even as he heard Sven breathe a quiet swear next to him. Before them was a huge crystal that ran from floor to vaulted ceiling, filling the chamber with a dull red light, and suspended in the middle of the crystal was some sort of figure. Carefully and even more wary of a trap, they picked their way across the rubble strewn water to stop before the crystal and its captive.

 

“Reno, tell the general,” Frankie ordered, his voice hushed as he realized just who was trapped in the red crystal like a fly in amber.

 

“Tell him what?” Reno demanded, his voice all business.

 

“We found Genesis Rhapsodos,” Frankie said, staring up at the apparently sleeping Red General of Shinra.


	42. Making an Entrance

Calmly walking along the temporary path, Sephiroth made his way to what had been dubbed the Crystal Room. It had taken a few weeks for Reeve to get construction crews to the hole in the Midgar Ruins due to other, more needed projects. Once those crews arrived, however, there had been an access ramp down into the hole and a metal path above the water built in a matter of days. Various groups of his men had volunteered to guard the trapped form of Genesis until construction was complete, and Sephiroth himself had managed to grab a guard shift while Cloud coordinated things in Wutai.

 

Upon entering the Crystal Room, Sephiroth had to once more just stop and stare at the sight before him. Large spotlights illuminated every bit of the chamber, but the harsh white light was softened by the red glow still emanating from the crystal. In the few days he had been back in Wutai, a platform had been built around the crystal with the top level with Genesis. Various people hurried around while a dozen of his men stood guard around the perimeter, and Sephiroth nodded to the closest ones as he walked towards the crystal.

 

“You know, if Genesis was awake, he’d be _thrilled_ to know this whole production was just for him,” Zack’s voice came over his earpiece before his Second laughed. “Or complain there wasn’t enough _Loveless_.”

 

“Unfortunately true,” sighed Sephiroth with a fond smile as he climbed the platform. Now that he was closer, he could a minute shifting of the red hair and clothes, as if Genesis was caught in a faint current instead of a solid structure. Reaching out, Sephiroth wiped a bit of condensation from the surface and hummed in surprise when he spotted a faint line denoting the edge of a chamber around his friend. He was almost willing to bet there was a thin channel at both the top and the bottom of the crystal for mako to flow through, thus creating the current in question.

 

Reaching up a bit higher, Sephiroth wipe more condensation off the red surface and frowned as he got his first clear look at Genesis. The face was thinner, his cheekbones sharp, and the clothes, while rather tattered and threadbare, seemed to hang off him. Even his wrists where the gloves had decayed away were too bony to be healthy. The mako flowing through the crystal may have kept Genesis alive, but he was still starving to death.

 

“This is going to be challenging,” sighed Sephiroth, shaking his head. Before, they were just going to crack the crystal and remove Genesis from the shards, but Sephiroth didn’t think they could risk that sort of trauma on the emaciated redhead.

 

“What’s going on, Seph?” asked Zack, a note of worry in his voice, and Sephiroth relayed his observations as his mind whirled. A plan was starting to take shape, but he was going to need Aeris’ input to see if it would pan out.

 

“Is Aeris nearby?” Sephiroth inquired as he started back down the platform.

 

There was a bit of rustling before Aeris’ voice replaced Zack’s in his ear. “What do you need, Sephiroth?”

 

“Would the church’s healing waters help Genesis?” He was under no illusions that she hadn’t heard his conversation with Zack and thus, he had no need to repeat himself. “Or at least melt the crystal around him?”

 

A thoughtful hum echoed in his ear. “I’m not sure,” she finally confessed. “It will keep him alive and help heal him, but you are going to have to remove the crystal yourself.”

 

From the odd tone in her voice, Sephiroth had a feeling that it was Gaia who had set down the verdict, and he hummed his acceptance. He looked around before signalling to one of his men. “Thank you, Aeris.”

 

The man hurried over, an expectant look on his face before he saluted. “Yes, sir?”

 

“Get five others to come help,” Sephiroth ordered before turning to snag one of the workers by the arm, getting a startled yelp for his trouble. “Gather all the workers together. I have a plan.”

 

The woman nodded, hurrying off towards the largest knot of workers as the six guards rushed over to Sephiroth, expectant looks on their faces. A few minutes later, all of the workers were gathered around them, waiting for new orders.

 

“This is going to be a much more tricky operation than first thought,” Sephiroth announced, making sure his voice carried to the workers in the back. “Rhapsodos is severely malnourished, and it is unsure if his body could withstand the trauma of shattering the crystal here. I have another idea, however. Who knows how to drive the flat bed truck?”

 

The woman he had originally tagged raised her hand, and Sephiroth nodded. “Back it up to the base of the platform. About five of you will use rope to make a woven support for the crystal. I’m going to cut the crystal above and below Rhapsodos.” He turned his attention to his men. “You six will be ready to catch it, using the ropes to keep it from hitting the ground. Then, we’ll load the crystal onto the flatbed where we’ll make sure it doesn’t fall off while you, miss, drive the truck to the Sector 5 church.”

 

Heads were nodding all around as they listened to him, and he sent them off with a wave of his hand. A few workers were already swarming up the platform with thick coils of ropes in their hands, and his men were right next to them, helping them tie a harness around the crystal. There were a few sharp edges that were padded with some rags to keep them from slicing through the ropes, and a loud beeping revealed the truck being expertly backed up to where it needed to be.

 

Sephiroth waited, Masamune summoned to his hand, as the last few knots were tied, and the various people either vacated the platform or took up positions that left him room to swing. He walked up and examined the crystal with a critical eye as he decided the best way to go about freeing it from its post. Finally, he decided to slice the top first before the bottom as that would keep the mako flowing around Genesis until the last possible minute. Looking at his men who nodded at him to indicate their readiness, Sephiroth took a step back and swung twice.

 

There was a crystalline ringing that echoed through the cavern before a grinding noise started, and Sephiroth watched as the crystal started sliding before the ropes around it were pulled taunt. The six men managed to ease the crystal prison out of the area where it had been, and they carried it down the platform that now groaned and trembled under their movements. Sephiroth simply jumped off the platform to land on the back of the truck, and he dismissed Masamune for now. Between him and the six men, they managed to get it on the flatbed and secured enough that it wasn’t going to slide off due to a sharp turn or sudden acceleration.

 

“We’re good. Go!” ordered Sephiroth, kneeling behind the cab, and the woman gunned the engine in warning before the truck took off for the church. Sephiroth stared down into the sleeping face of his friend as he tried desperately to think of a solution to free Genesis from his crystal prison.


	43. Uncomfortable Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for not updating in almost a year, but between Real Life and this being a very tricky chapter for me to write, it took a long time.

 

 

Reeve glanced at the latest report his foreman sent him about the rescue of Genesis Rhapsodos and sent a small prayer to Gaia that Sephiroth managed to rescue his friend without causing more serious harm to him. He was thankful for the live feed he had going on his computer so he knew what resources were needed and could have them on the way as soon as he could arrange it instead of having to wait for someone to send a request through. To be honest, the rescue of Genesis Rhapsodos was more of a mutually beneficial arrangement as it showed his good will towards Sephiroth and his men while also arranging for elite guards for his workers as they explore and work in the caverns under the ruins.

 

A beep of his intercom pulled him away from his computer, and he reached over to scoop up the telephone. His secretary wouldn’t bother him unless it was something important. “What is it, Iris?”

 

“Mr. Wallace is here, sir,” came Iris’ reply, and Reeve’s brows rose at that. He would have thought that Barrett and Tifa wanted nothing to do with the rest of them when they sided with Cloud. “He does not have an appointment but hoped you might have some time to talk with him.”

 

Reeve glanced over the paperwork he had been dreading before deciding that it could wait another few minutes. “Send him in, and ignore any yelling that you hear if it’s not me.”

 

That earned him a laugh before he hung up the phone and sat back in his chair. The door opened and an unusually subdued Barrett walked in, not looking at Reeve as he moved over to claim the visitor’s chair on the other side of the desk. Reeve tilted his head as he looked at the large man. “What can I do for you, Barrett?”

 

“I’m confused and Tifa didn’t help in clearing it up any,” confessed Barrett, finally looking up at Reeve. “I mean, I’ve been trying to figure it out, but nothing makes sense.”

 

“Perhaps if you start at the beginning, I can attempt to help you,” remarked Reeve, lacing his fingers across his stomach as he got comfortable. Depending on what the issue was, this meeting could take a few minutes or several hours.

 

“Why’d Strife do it?” Barrett asked, shaking his head. “He’s a pervert, takin’ up with another man. It ain’t right! Anymore than it was proper for the women at the old Honey Bee Inn to be sellin’ themselves like they were.”

 

“Why do you say it’s improper for Cloud to take up with another man?” inquired Reeve, realizing that this was a perfect opportunity to get to the root of Barrett’s problem with Cloud. “If two people love each other, what does it matter what their sex is?”

 

Barrett shook his head as he got up and started to pace. “It’s not proper. Relationships like that are between a man and a woman, period.”

 

That sounded like something that Barrett had been taught as a child from parents, and Reeve thanked the gods that Marlene had a decent head on her shoulders. Reaching over to his keyboard, Reeve fired off an e-mail to Cloud, asking for permission to talk about him to Barrett. Reeve could easily tell Barrett everything that he had been told by Cloud, but he wasn’t one to betray a confidence like that. He was surprised when he received an almost immediate response from Cloud, granting him permission.

 

“Sit down, Barrett,” Reeve said, and Barrett looked at him in surprise before taking a seat again. “I have permission from Cloud to talk to you about some of the things he told me in confidence. Ask your questions and I will answer to the best of my ability.”

 

“I don’t understand how someone abnormal is so willing to help Marlene be as normal as possible,” sighed Barrett, running his real hand over his hair. “Why did he do that?”

 

“Be normal in what ways?” inquired Reeve. “It seems to me that Marlene is as normal as anyone, and Cloud is normal too.” He held up a hand to halt Barrett’s protest. “Beyond the fact that Cloud has a male lover, is there anything about him that strikes you as ‘abnormal’?”

 

Barrett frowned and stared at the floor. “Tifa said he didn’t have any family beyond his momma, but in Corel, that wasn’t unusual at all. But, when his momma got herself in trouble an’ the father wouldn’t step forward, then his momma was named ‘Strife’.”

 

Reeve inclined his head. “Cloud was at a severe disadvantage because his mother’s lover never stepped forward to claim him. He was denied things that were readily available for the other children of Nibelheim, until he finally left to join the ShinRa military.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“A basic education to start,” Reeve said, and he nearly laughed at Barrett’s bug-eyed expression. “He once told me that he wasn’t allowed to go to school as his presence would, and I quote, ‘disrupt the learning process for honest citizens’. The people of Nibelheim did their best to cripple and drive off anyone who was given the name Strife.”

 

“But he can read an’ write! Marlene told me he was reading _medical_ books to try to help Denzel,” protested Barrett. “That ain’t the actions of someone illiterate.”

 

“He was taught after he joined ShinRa,” stated Reeve with a shrug. “Commander Fair helped him a bit in the beginning, but ultimately it was Sephiroth who took the time to teach Cloud how to properly read and write.” Reeve held up a hand when Barrett opened up his mouth, cutting off any protest that the other man might have. “The memories you have of ShinRa are quite different from the ones Cloud and I share. You knew the _company_ and the actions of its most, ah, visible employees. We knew the people that ShinRa put on a pedestal in an attempt to attract more people into its employ.”

 

“So the Sephiroth you knew was different than the one we hunted across the planet?” Now Barrett was looking interested and curious, which was much better than the hostility that had been prevalent before when ShinRa had been discussed.

 

Reeve nodded, his eyes glancing over at the monitor to check up on the operation. Nothing seemed different so he could ignore it for a while. “The Sephiroth we knew always looked out for his men, putting them first while doing what he could to keep undue attention from people like Hojo off of them. He took time out of his busy schedule to teach a cadet who was floundering in his lessons. That is the sort of man that Sephiroth was.”

 

“But that doesn’t explain why Strife took up with a man,” protested Barrett with a slight huff.

 

Okay, Barrett was still fixated on that issue. Reeve tilted his head as he looked at Barrett. “In Corel, weren’t there ever two people of the same sex that lived together and always were together?”

 

Barrett shrugged. “There were the occasional friends that lived together because housing was tight at times, but that’s what bein’ friends is all about.”

 

“And if a few of those friends were more than friends?” inquired Reeve. “Would that change your opinion of them?”

 

Barrett opened his mouth to say something before stopping and closing his mouth as a thoughtful look crossed his face. “I’m not sure.”

 

“You spent _how_ long with Cloud, first as part of AVALANCHE and then traveling around Gaia trying to stop Sephiroth? In that time, did he ever treat you like your friendship was something of a convenience, that he was only being nice to you because he needed you as long as you acted a certain way?”

 

An embarrassed look crossed Barrett’s face, and he stared at the floor. “Never did. He wasn’t nice in the beginning, uncaring that I had to pay him with money that was for Marlene’s schooling, but that changed an’ he started workin’ with us. He even paid me back later.”

 

Reeve let a small grin flicker across his face before sobering again. That sounded like Cloud. “So, putting the issue of Cloud’s sexual preference aside, would you consider him a decent person?”

 

Instead of the hesitation Reeve was expecting, Barrett nodded. “Yeah, a good guy and once he got his head screwed on straight, not a bad friend.” Then the frown returned. “But…”

 

“Stop right there,” Reeve ordered, his voice firm, and Barrett looked at him in surprise. “Friendship shouldn’t be built on ‘buts’. If you’re friends with someone, you’re friends with the _entire_ person. I don’t say that I’ll be your friend, except when you lose your temper.” He pointed a finger at Barrett. “You have to decide if your friendship with Cloud is one that you want to continue, no matter who his lover is, or if your friendship was one of convenience. If it’s the latter, then break it off now, forget about everything he did for you and Marlene in the past, and learn to live with the rest of us being his friend.”

 

Sitting back in his chair, Reeve rested his hands on his desk. “However, if you want to be a true friend to Cloud, you’re going to have to accept that he has a male lover.”

 

Barrett nodded before suddenly sitting up straight. “Hold up! Has a lover? I thought Strife was in love with Sephiroth? When’d he pick up a new lover?”

 

Reeve was about to say something when a sudden increase of activity on his monitor indicated that something serious was happening with the rescue of Genesis. He held up a hand, asking Barrett to wait a minute as he fired off a quick e-mail to Cloud, asking what was going on. The response back was startling and he felt like swearing. He pulled up the personnel files to try and find someone with experience with mako crystals or mining, needing someone local as he didn’t think Genesis could wait for someone to come in from the fields.

 

“That’s a mineshaft. What’s goin’ on, Reeve?” Barrett’s voice over his shoulder caused Reeve to jump in surprise. In the desire to help Genesis, he’d forgotten about Barrett.

 

Who had grown up in a mining town.

 

And had extensive knowledge about mining operations and techniques.

 

Reeve rose to his feet and looked at Barrett. “Genesis Rhapsodos has been found. He’s trapped in a mako crystal and is severely malnourished. Can you help free him?” Reeve huffed a small laugh. “Rather I suppose I should ask, _will_ you help free him?”

 

“You tell me what’s going on, and I’ll help,” Barrett stated, his voice more firm as determination appeared on his face. “I may not understand Cloud an’ the rest of the situation, but if you say the generals were different from what I saw, then I’ll help.”

 

Nodding, Reeve grabbed his jacket and motioned for Barrett to follow him. He barely remembered to toss a few instructions as Iris as they raced for Reeve’s truck in a desperate race to help save Genesis.


End file.
